In 2016 I shut my classroom door for the final time, choosing to leave a dream job and face an uncertain financial future because of my faith. By no means was this choice an easy one. The list of reasons to stay was long and daunting. I was the sole breadwinner in our family. My […]
It was 2:38 a.m. and only eighteen degrees outside. I was soundly sleeping in my warm, comfortable bed when I heard a deep growl and loud barking in our yard. Two large dogs were attacking our lambs and three-month-old horse. The nightmare scenario of every shepherd enfolded in front of my eyes. What could I […]
The story is told of a busy father who wanted to occupy his toddler so the boy wouldn’t distract him. The father tore a world map into several pieces and sent the little boy to his room to put it back together, instructing him not to return until the job was done. Surprised by his […]
Jesus has entrusted us with a critical rescue mission where eternal destinies hang in the balance. Most of us realize we let Jesus down. Our lack of faithfulness reflects our lack of love. My purpose isn’t to immerse us in guilt — that’s self focused; but to help us see how much we’ve been forgiven […]
The 2000 movie Pay It Forward tells the story of a seventh grader named Trevor, whose new social studies teacher issues an assignment to think of something that could change the world, and then put it into action. Trevor comes up with the idea of doing big favors for three people that are not intended […]
When my youngest son was in fifth grade at a Christian school, he surprised me one day with this request: “Mom, my teacher has started having the kids do morning devotions. She said we could do them ourselves or get our parents to come and do the devotions. So, I signed you up for tomorrow. […]
Have you ever noticed that in his famous list of love’s qualities in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, the apostle Paul begins and ends the list with the same trait: patience? Although he uses two different words, showing different aspects of this important quality, they both mean patience. It is often said that the Greeks had a […]
I stared at the mortuary pamphlet in my hand. Dates, times, places. Death — the death of my grandfather, Emmett. My eyes scanned the page and froze at the name under Officiant. It was my name — not a minister, but Emmett’s granddaughter. Three days before, my grandfather succumbed to emphysema. Only a handful of […]
A mother teaches her toddler to share her toys with her brother, who is one year younger. A father instructs his seven-year-old son about trust and mistrust before he goes to school. Teaching and sharing are a natural part of our daily lives. They should also be a natural part of our daily witness. For […]
How does Paul’s teaching on mutual submission in Ephesians 5:21 relate to his instructions on submission within specific authority structures just afterward (v. 22 — 6:9)? In Ephesians 5:21, Paul moves from general instructions for all believers to how these apply in specific relationships. To understand his words, we must read them in context. […]
