Reclaiming the Gospel

In the aftermath of Derek Chauvin’s trial (the man convicted of killing George Floyd) many of us are wondering What is our role as followers of Jesus in all of this?  Is social injustice an important enough cause to join forces with the world to overcome? Are we in fact negligent in our Christian duty [...]

The Joy We Share

In this devotional series on remembering, we’ve discovered how each aspect of our relationship with God teaches us different but equally important truths. Each one enables us to face the future confidently. As His dearly loved children (we discovered in January) we’re under the care of our heavenly Father. He remembers that we are dust [...]

Renewing Our Vows

Vow renewal ceremonies have been around for a while, but only became popular in the 1970s. Now, in the U.S, they make up from 25 to 30% of all wedding ceremonies being booked. Some are elaborate and costly. TV star Rachel Ray and her husband treated their friends and family to a weekend in a [...]

He Remembers That We Are Dust

Are you starting the New Year with hope and optimism? Or is your heart filled with dread as you dwell on all the problems facing the world? Beginning this month, I want to turn our attention to biblical truths that will enable us to face the future without fear as we center our lives in [...]

Fearing the Lord our God

I was blessed with one of the world’s best mothers. Her love for her kids was legendary, and her reputation for indulgence? Well, I remember how shocked my kindergarten teacher was when I told her one morning I had hot dogs for breakfast. My mom figured protein was protein. What difference did it make if [...]

Keeping Love Alive

When Tony and I met, I was still living with my parents, attending university in Wichita, Kansas. He was enrolled at Kansas University in Lawrence – two hundred miles away. We ended up at the same party in Lawrence one weekend and, as sometimes happens, our “chance” meeting developed into something we both wanted to [...]

Love Actually

February is the month we acknowledge and celebrate love. People have written a lot about the wonder of love. Some of the quotations we’ve memorized, we’ve heard them so much: “Love is blind” (Geoffrey Chauncer); “Love conquers all” (Virgil); and “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” (Alfred [...]

Taste & See: How Experience Builds Faith

The Baby Boomers among us will remember the old Phil Spector song (1958) that declares: “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him; Just to see him smile makes my life worthwhile. To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him. And I do. And I do.” Of course, he [...]

On Assignment for God

The first time I encountered the idea of my life circumstances being an assignment from God was when I got diagnosed with cancer. Because I had seen others get healed miraculously, instantaneously by God, I assumed that’s what would happen with me. But when the results kept coming back as positive, and the doctors told [...]

Cultivating a Thankful Spirit

From the mounting scientific evidence, gratitude seems to be good for our health. The leading American researcher in this field, Robert Emmons, found it lowers blood pressure, improves immune function, and facilitates more efficient sleep. Other benefits include lower levels of cellular inflammation, more prosocial behaviors (that foster new and better relationships), and greater resiliency [...]