Drawn from my archives

I remember the first time I stepped through the doors of Carriage House Lane. It was my kind of beautiful. Everything from the smell of cinnamon apple pie to the country-styled decor felt like home.

I came in with a few hand-made quilts hoping the woman might sell them for me and I left with a part-time job. It was part of our deal–she would sell my quilts on consignment, and I would help her out one day a week.

The thing about working at Carriage House Lane is that it never felt like a job. I loved every minute I spent helping out customers, unpacking crafts, and hanging up quilts.

It makes a difference when you love what you’re doing, doesn’t it? It makes a difference when your heart and your hands are in sync.

So it is with our Christian life. Loving righteousness takes our walk of faith a step further. Goodness flows from the heart, not just from the hands. It’s the difference between serving God and loving the God that we serve.

But, what hope do we have for a bitter heart?

Looking to Exodus chapter 15, we see the Israelites travelling in the wilderness when they happened upon a well of bitter water at Marah. We can only imagine how horribly bitter it must have been if they went three days without water and still couldn’t drink it.

So what does God do? He tells Moses to cast a tree into the water, and when Moses does–the water is made sweet.

Do you see the analogy there? Do you see what makes the bitter sweet? The tree on which our Savior hung–the cross. There’s transforming power in the message of the cross, and when that cross takes center stage in the heart of man, it makes the bitter sweet.

Charles Spurgeon writes, “The cross in the heart is the purifier of the soul; it purges and it cleanses the chambers of the mind. Christian! keep thy heart pure, “for out of it are the issues of life.”

Subscribe so you don’t miss a post:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is chimp.png

Tilling the Soil

Read the story of the bitter well made sweet in Exodus 15:22-27.

Planting Hope

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23, KJV)


Your donations help to support this ministry as we share the gospel with over 500,000 women around the world. Click here to donate


About the Author

DARLENE SCHACHT is an award-winning and NYT best-selling author. She is the founder of Time-Warp Wife Ministries, an online publication that encourages women to live Christ-centered lives.

Her passion for scripture and hunger for truth is the driving force behind a unique ministry that offers Bible studies and daily marriage prayers. Darlene is joined by her husband Michael on the daily podcast “5-Minute Marriage.”


Connect With Darlene:

Facebook: @timewarpwife
Instagram: @timewarpwife
Pinterest: @timewarpwife
Twitter: @timewarpwife

Amazon: Darlene Schacht (affiliate link)