As winter fades into spring, you might feel good about the transition. The birds are singing in the trees again, and the flowers are starting to bloom. As fall fades into winter and the last of the colorful leaves abandon the branches, you might not feel so pleased. The world might feel too cold and [...]

Love is not just a four-letter word. Sometimes we want to hear someone say, “I love you” and really mean it and show it. My dear husband doesn't say “I love you” very often. When he does say it, I know he truly means it. More than anything, he shows me he loves me. He [...]

Hating my father hurt. I had stomach-aches that doubled me over at times. But I tried to hide the pain. Mom shouldn't have to worry about me, on top of everything else. My dad left us and moved in with another woman. Mom said to forgive him, but I won't. I can't. I could hear [...]

Are you hungry for justice? Do you thirst for light in a dark world? Are you desperate for a purpose to go on? Are you searching for meaning in life? Do you wish to be understood? Are you longing to be loved? Bring your hopes to the only One who can satisfy, The Light of [...]

I held the paper in my hand, reading the message in surprise. A telegram! I didn't know anybody who sent (or received) telegrams, yet there I stood with one of my own. I'd competed at a local level in a national scholarship program and then advanced to the state event. Participating at the state competition [...]

“Ugh,” my daughter said in disgust. Whole peppercorns covered Eloise's broccoli alfredo and looked like mini meatballs floating on a sea of white sauce. The culprit: a broken pepper grinder. Lately, our pepper grinder had been breaking the peppercorns in half instead of grinding them. Now, the grinder lay in pieces, and I made a [...]

When you read Psalm 136, you might see why I've called it a psalm of thanksgiving. The first three verses say, “Give thanks.” This Psalm was written to be a group song of thanks, meaning that one person or part of the group would sing the first line, then the majority of the group would [...]

There have been times in my life when I would hear hurtful words, especially when I made a mistake. But there were also moments when I would speak harshly and hurt others. I would be inconsiderate of them. I would be insensitive and fail to understand people. I have been careless with my words. Whenever [...]

Military conflict breaks out. A tsunami hits. Justice is not accomplished. Christians are martyred. Violence escalates. At times, it seems there are unanswered ills that God is (at best) ignoring or (at worst) endorsing. This conundrum of God's righteousness in the face of evil circumstances is not new. The prophet Habakkuk wondered how God could [...]

We often feel like we have to be a certain way or reach a certain goal because that's what will make the people around us respect us. I have struggled with this. I feel like I need to be at a certain point financially, bringing in a certain amount of money, in order to not [...]