Have you ever made a paper boat? They hold so much promise for about five seconds — until reality (and water) hit. I’ve made choices in life that felt the same way: beautifully folded plans that didn’t seem waterproof once the storms came. When we moved to Ukraine to help start a church, I had …
In Matthew 21, we see Jewish leaders come and challenge Jesus’ authority. He responds by telling the Parable of the Tenants to challenge them to examine their role in God’s plan (vv. 33-46). He uses imagery that they would instantly recognize as echoes of Isaiah 5:1–7, which calls Israel the vineyard of the Lord (v.7). …
We all do it when discussing a certain cold, milky, sweet substance. We might start with a description, when they learn that, then we spell it, but kids learn to spell pretty quickly. We had exhausted all the terminology that could be used for these sweet, milky substances and started referring to them in other …
Today, we often confuse kindness with being nice (in Latin, nice means ignorant) or being highly tolerant toward all sorts of things. Before we engage in casual or formal conversation, we should be kind with our words. Sadly, this behavior has led us to be fake and cowardly. The way our culture defines kindness differs …
The footprints of Katie’s life began on a cold blustery night because well, I made my debut upon the planet in Oregon and it was always cold and blustery. When I was nine years old those footprints were traced to Taiwan. I believe God works in the hearts of our children despite all we …
It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s a quiet morning. For many years, quiet and Christmas didn’t go together. We are in a different season now: it’s quiet, which gives me time to ponder. When the kids were young, there were programs and adventures. We never emphasized getting at Christmas time; we focused more on the giving. …
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. -Luke 2:7 ESV Have you ever experienced a stressful situation while traveling? Last month I was driving to my parent’s house with my children in the car when …
Anna, 84 years old and she is still serving and waiting for the Messiah of the world to come. Did she sit around worrying about the troubles in her life? No, instead she fasts & prays! Anna had experienced loss. She was married and then lost her husband after 7 years of marriage. We don’t …
The 2024 Summer Olympics have just begun in Paris this week and I have watched a few competitions on YouTube. Maybe you have done the same? I especially enjoyed watching the women’s Gymnastics and was so excited to see our American team win gold today! As I watch the summer Olympics, I am reminded of …
Reading Luke 8:52 As I was reading this passage of scripture, telling the story of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, who fell at Jesus’ feet pleading for his only daughter’s life, Scripture says, “Jesus was on his way”. Jesus immediately goes with him. Meanwhile, he was interrupted by a woman, a woman that was …