READ: GENESIS 1:27; PSALM 139:13-18 I’m one of those people who likes to make a big deal out of birthdays. Whenever it’s someone else’s birthday, I try to at least send a happy birthday text, or get a gift, or even throw a party. When it comes to my own birthday, I always try to [...]

READ: MATTHEW 5:14-16; ROMANS 8:35-39 Picture this. The room is dark, and you blink as your eyes adjust to the light created by the glowing candles on top of a birthday cake. “Okay, make a wish and blow the candles out,” your friend says. You nod, close your eyes, and blow out the candles. But [...]

READ: JOHN 4:1-42 When God amazes us, sharing our story with others can make a real difference. In John 4, we see how Jesus spent time with a Samaritan woman at the well near Samaria. He talked to her about God and also about her life, her husbands, the choices she had made…and about who [...]

READ: PSALM 139 Have you ever had a moment when you realized that someone really knows you? I had a moment like this with my housemate recently, and it made me feel so loved. I had been feeling overwhelmed and depressed for a few days. My husband took our kids to run some errands so [...]

READ: PSALMS 27:7-14; 33:20-22 I keep calling out, GodEven though I am tiredEven though I don’t see You working yetEven though this life seems to be killing meI keep calling out, GodBecause You are my only hopeBecause You can bring me peaceBecause You can move into action at any timeI keep calling out, GodAnd my [...]

READ: ISAIAH 41:10-14; 49:14-16; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11 I saw a young child get off a school bus today— and go right into the waiting embrace of his mom. As she straightened up, he wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his head against her shoulder. I wondered if something had happened at school today, or [...]

READ: ISAIAH 61:8; JEREMIAH 22:3; MATTHEW 23:23 It’s discouraging to see so much evil in the world. Evil and sin have been a part of the world for a long time, but as I get older, I notice it more than when I was a kid. I hear news about corruption, poverty, or health crises...and [...]

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 [...]

READ: GENESIS 1:27; 1 JOHN 4:7-19 You probably already know that snowflakes are remarkably unique from one another. And the reason each snowflake has a one-of-a-kind crystal structure is because every developing flake experiences slightly different atmospheric conditions as it falls from the sky to the ground. But have you ever thought about what they [...]

READ: PSALM 4:8; MATTHEW 11:28-30; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 The sound of white noise as we lay down to sleep can give us comfort and cover up distracting sounds that might keep us awake. A fan going while we rest can help us feel comfortable and breathe easier. Some of us have a particular pillow we need [...]