You may have begun this journey of practicing life-giving encouragement with joy and anticipation of great blessings, but today you are starting to wonder if you are really cut out for this task. You see the encouragement command…

The word “arise” in Today’s Treasure is the same one the prophetess Deborah used when she declared, “Village life ceased, ceased in Israel, until I Deborah arose, arose a Mother in Israel…

The story in yesterday’s devotional is very relevant for so many of us. Our natural inclination is to run away from a toxic relationship. Yet, often the Lord wants us to learn how to engage that person or situation in a way that patiently and…

Remember the last time everything seemed to fall apart around you, and none of the chaos was your fault? Pick one that fits you – maybe all of them…

Did you know that when Jesus forgave you and came into your heart, He brought His DNA? That the Scripture actually uses the word “sperma” in…

The woman’s face twisted in agony and her sobbing moans made her words hard to understand. She had just learned that a man she considered a faithful friend was regularly molesting her daughter. What does life-giving encouragement for this woman look like…

Encouragement comes naturally to some people. Their personalities and gift mix uniquely equip them to walk into a broken person’s life and know just what to do…

The day after surgery for breast cancer I sat on the edge of the hospital bed, looking out over a brilliantly sunny July day. I had cancer but did not know how far it had progressed. I was thirty-nine years old with four children to raise. Our youngest, Mark, was ten years old…

The Hebrew Christians were scared and weary. They had started their walk with Jesus, filled with hope and a passion for reflecting His compassion to one another. Their faith compelled them to offer practical help to one another…

How many times have you witnessed grief that seems impossible to comfort? Your experience might not include helping a friend whose grief threatens to drive her to the brink of despair. Instead, it could be your teenage son or daughter whose heart is breaking because…

The topic of encouragement is dear to me because encouragers helped turn my heart toward the Lord after the fatal car accident that took the lives of our son Mark and his friend Kelly.  When God seemed far away, He sent His people as..

The heart of a life-giver is focused on glorifying God, but when our identity is wrapped up in our roles, our children, family, achievements, beauty, career, friends, financial security, good works, health, money…

Several years ago, God turned my world upside down and put me on a pathway that forced me to learn how to be a spiritual life-giver when my instinct was to be a life- taker. If you had asked me if I was a life-giver, though I was unfamiliar with the term, I would have answered…

Remember Eve, whose name means life-giver? She seemed to take credit for creating life when she gave birth to her first son. Well, actually, she implies that God and she partnered in this amazing event. Then life happened…

“This is too hard. I am a widow and my adult children live too far away to just drop by. I’m lonely and I’m angry that God has killed my dreams. We had such plans to enjoy this season of life. Everything seemed to be falling into place and then that phone call, that terrible phone call…

Did you know that in a landmark study researchers found that women react to stress differently than men because different proportions of hormones are released into the bloodstream?  Men release much smaller…

“Oh, look! I used to go to youth group at that church!” My friend and her daughter were Christmas shopping. The daughter’s invitation to go to the mall shocked her mother because of the ongoing conflict between them. Her daughter’s life choices..

We need endurance to finish a race well, and that includes our lifelong journey of faith, obedience and love. I’m strengthened to know that Jesus is with me and that He eagerly provides running mates along the way. Friends, mentors and teachers are provided by God to encourage…

God uses disappointments in powerful ways in our lives, if we’ll receive it!  As I type this, I’m facing some disappointment in a relationship, and feel sad. Nestled in the melancholy cloud over my heart is an assurance that He is at work in me, His workmanship, whom He has created for specific good works.

Escape. Vacation. Getting away from it ALL! Life sometimes feels like too much, doesn’t it? I mean, the pressures of ministry, financial burdens, health trials and tough relationships can tempt me to a) dream up a fantasy career…