Brown Sugar Toast
writings from Christa Threlfall
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“The Lord Will Provide.”
“The Lord will provide, Christa.” My sister said these words to me when I cried about the accumulating bills of my first pregnancy. “Easy for her to say. She’s not in my shoes,” I thought. 8 years later, I find myself encouraging those around me with the same phrase: “The Lord will provide.” I know…
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When Worry Steals Your Joy
Last week, I told you that my husband passed the oral defense of his dissertation—the culmination of a major, 4-year-long journey and a huge answer to prayer. The 24 hours that followed his passing held some major struggles for me. Here’s the story of my breakdown & God’s build-up… “I passed.” I entertained approximately…
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He Passed!
This past week, Jonathan traveled to Kentucky to defend his dissertation. The oral defense took place Thursday afternoon, so my kids and I held an “official” prayer meeting minutes before he began. A couple hours later, he called me with wonderful news: He passed! Yahoo! Yeehaw! And all the other sayings that express happiness and…
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3 Ways I Prepare My Heart for Easter
Easter is my very favorite time of year. As I remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, I’m reminded that lasting hope only comes from Christ. There is so much rest in Him. There are three things I like to do every year to meditate more fully on Jesus and His sacrifice for…
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When You Don’t Want to Read the Bible
I sat on my bed with a Bible in my lap, attempting to study the book of Hebrews. “This is hard. I don’t understand this.” I thought. My thoughts began to drift to a myriad of other activities I could be doing at that moment—some I needed to do (prepare dinner and clean the kitchen), while…
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You Can’t Please Them. (& why you shouldn’t try)
This post is for anyone who feels both a desire to please others and a frustration when they can’t. On Saturday morning, I asked God to help me be consumed with pleasing Him instead of others. But then I thought, “Wait. That doesn’t sound right. Shouldn’t I want to please others?” Doesn’t it seem like…
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Parenting: What to Do When You Don’t Know the Answers
Parenting is full of questions and decisions. Your kids ask questions, you ask yourself questions, and sometimes situations present themselves where nobody is asking for answers (such as when two children are fighting), but they need intervention in the form of a wise parent. But what do you do when you don’t know the answers? Today’s…
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You Don’t Love the Church.
I was listening to a podcast of 2 Christian speakers when one of them popped the church question: “So, what’s your current relationship with the church?” the host asked. She was met with a quick, emphatic reply, “Oh, I love the church. Absolutely love it. I haven’t been there in years, but I love it.”…
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If I Could Change One Thing About Myself…
This post is one you might as well have ripped out from my journal… because it’s something personal God is doing in my life. Since I’m always encouraged to hear about God’s work in someone’s heart, I thought I’d share with the prayer that you’ll be spiritually encouraged. Several months ago, Jonathan and I had…
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Nothing is Wasted
Several months ago, my family watched a children’s movie together. As the final credits scrolled across the screen, my husband and I did what we typically do after movies: we dissected, critiqued, and discussed improvements that should have been made. This particular movie must have had an inexperienced director because there were several wasted scenes…
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3 Questions I Ask Before Pressing “Publish”
Today marks 7 years of blogging here at Brown Sugar Toast. 7 YEARS! In commemoration of this event, I’m going to share 3 questions I ask before pressing publish. I want you to know what my goals are for the writing in this space, rather than it seeming like a random assortment of posts. Whether I…
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9 Perfect Gifts for Your Valentine {Spouse}
I told my husband I was writing a post about perfect gifts for your valentine. His response? “I better go read that post!” But no, actually. Because the items below are not things I want, but rather things we already own and greatly enjoy. These are tried and true favorites we use during home date nights, road…
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