“What If” or “Even If”? Why is it easier to focus on the negative? On every fear-inducing “what if”? Yes, the world can be a scary place . . . and it shows no sign of improving. Of course, it doesn’t help that my default reaction is to ask, What if things get...
Who Is El Elyon and Why Should We Care? The more I read and listen to news reports of current events, the more my head hurts. Truly. Watching a world in which truth is manipulated to mean whatever you want it to mean can bring on a roaring headache . . . and...
How Do You Respond to Adversity? There’s something refined about a tea party, isn’t there? Perhaps we enjoy tea parties because they help us push pause in our crazy, schedule-driven lives. We wait for the water to boil, the tea bag to steep, and our stress...
Planting and Growing in God’s Garden Confession time: I’ve killed more plants than I’ve actually grown. Because of my failings, I’m especially drawn to passages in Scripture that describe God as a Gardener or Vinedresser. For example, in Isaiah 5, God is...
Aging Gracefully Is it possible to age gracefully? What does that even mean? Facebook is great about reminding me of friends’ upcoming birthdays. And yesterday, one friend posted about her eldest daughter’s 17th birthday. Seventeen? I first met her when she was...
Compassion for Friend and Foe Passions are riding high these days. In many ways, our culture—especially related to politics—is at a flashpoint. The slightest spark has the potential—no, the probability—of setting a wildfire consuming everything in its path. We...
Are You Surviving or Thriving? Anyone besides me feel frustrated at the apparent success of those who do evil in a world that frowns on a biblical worldview? There are times when I feel like crying out to God along with the psalmist who said...
Rights Christians Have, Don’t Have, Like, and Don’t Like The Constitution. The Bill of Rights. Documents protecting the rights of citizens of the United States. As we celebrate another anniversary of the birth of our nation, I wonder . . . what rights do...
Waiting for the Church’s Bridegroom June is traditionally associated with weddings. So I can’t allow the month to pass without congratulating you on your engagement and coming wedding. What? You say you’re not engaged? Oh, but you are! The Bible contains...
Trusting God for the Next Five Minutes In a world that seems to be spinning out of control, can God be trusted? And if you’re having trouble trusting Him for the next year, can you trust Him for the next five minutes? For years, I struggled with anxiety attacks...
The Moon is Always Round Have you had a difficult day? A tough week? A grueling month? Or perhaps a year that...
Mountains and Valleys Where are you right now: on a high or in a low? Are you thrilled with the season of life...
Attractively Countercultural I recently listened to a Bible study where a friend challenged her listeners to be...