READ: JOHN 1:1-15; 8:12-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6 Vacation time for my family when I was a kid usually involved tents and sleeping bags. We enjoyed the outdoors, and camping helped us stay close to nature—while also saving on hotel costs. As a little kid, I took notice of signs where we camped warning us of [...]

READ: MATTHEW 1:23; 28:20; MARK 6:45-54; EPHESIANS 4:2 As I stood at the lake’s edge, I was observing a genuine SOS moment. A young family member—I’ll call him Ford—had just received a kayak for his tenth birthday. He loved to be on the water, so a kayak seemed a fitting gift for him. Since our [...]

READ: EXODUS 34:6; PSALM 86; 1 JOHN 3:1 I stepped off the school bus and headed down the sidewalk toward my third-grade class. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I felt for the envelope with that day’s lunch money. I expected to find it there, but I wanted to reassure myself. However, I didn’t locate [...]

READ: MATTHEW 5:43-47; JOHN 16:29-33 My brother was selected to participate in his middle school’s play, so my family gladly showed up to watch the performance. While we sat in the audience, some unknown person crept into the parking lot and broke into our minivan. Although the would-be thief found nothing to steal, this individual [...]

READ: ROMANS 8:1; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:2 I’d just arrived in a new-to-me country on the other side of the world. I had left a sweltering summer in Florida, where I lived…and landed in a blustery New Zealand winter to begin a year of ministry. A missionary couple offered their home for my first [...]

READ: ROMANS 12:1-13; JAMES 4:6-10 I genuinely wanted to figure this out on my own. But I couldn’t. It was time to ask for help. I’d been in Romania just a few weeks. Wanting to acclimate to my new city, I took a tram to shop for groceries one afternoon. I needed to return for [...]

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 2:12-16; GALATIANS 5:16-26; EPHESIANS 5:1-20 I’ve always had a sweet tooth. On one special occasion, this served as a great qualification for a unique job. My family and I had joined with others in our community for a fun-filled summer day, complete with a barbecue, picnic, games, and a dessert contest. I [...]

READ: ISAIAH 41:8-14; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-20 I gulped. A flat tire? What now? I’d recently joined a ministry to share the good news of Jesus with others. To take on this role, I needed to raise money for expenses. I talked with lots of people in my hometown about supporting me financially, hoping they would partner [...]

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; ROMANS 12:15; HEBREWS 10:23-25 When my closest cousin, Jeanna, was barely a young woman, she lost her fight with cancer. I mourned her death with daily tears longer than I expected to. Then I learned of a way to honor Jeanna and others who were battling a cancer diagnosis. I signed up [...]

READ: MATTHEW 11:25-30; MARK 12:29-31; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58; GALATIANS 6:9 I walked with determination down the hallway. Maybe this time will be different, I thought, knocking on the classroom door. At the beginning of the year, I’d volunteered to mentor a second grader through a program helping youth with behavioral concerns. Once a week, I [...]