Four days after our son’s first MRI, we sat in an exam room, waiting to meet the neurosurgeon who would perform his brain surgery. As the …

On the first day of August, I had jotted a note in my prayer journal under our son’s name: “humility and gratitude.” It’s not that he isn’t generally a humble and grateful twenty-two-year-old—but really, what twenty-two-year-old couldn’t stand to grow in this area? Or what fifty-two-year-old couldn’t grow a little more, for that matter?

One day, in the waiting room of my Dad’s oncologist, I happened to sit next to an (annoying) angel. The very word angel in the Greek indicates a messenger…

As I waited in a dimly-lit hospital hallway for our son to finish his first MRI—the one that followed the incidental discovery of a “something” on his brain, my mind turned to the first question from the Heidelberg Catechism…

Every one of us has or will experience medical waiting rooms throughout our lives. These challenging moments that can stretch into hours, days and sometimes…

September 1st is looming. At 8 AM those registered and those registering will gather to begin an event. Money will be raised for…

The pastor’s words rang from the pulpit.  Each word pronounced distinctly and clearly.
“We live our lives as if it’s all about me, it’s all about me”. What does that mean?  What does that look like?

Zephaniah prophesied during the reform of King Josiah who brought spiritual revival to Judah after a long reign of evil.  He pronounced God’s judgment on corruption but also talked about God’s plans to lovingly restore Judah…

My mother informed me one day as she was telling stories about my childhood, “Your kindergarten teacher tirelessly encouraged you to rework your project in a different direction.  When you felt you had made a mistake, not doing what you had planned to do…

It is 3 AM right now. I cannot sleep. I toss and turn and silently pray, “dear Lord please clear my thoughts and let me fall back to sleep”. It doesn’t work. I tiptoe…

As I write this, my multiple sclerosis is causing some balance difficulties.  My doctors are working with me to figure things out. MS is as unique as its victims are unique.  Necessary to “figuring things out”, is waiting. There is a lot of trial and error…

It’s so good to have Sherry Bitler back as our Guest Writer this week. Sherry and I have been doing life together for over twenty-five years. We have…

In Matthew 8, an exhausted Jesus climbs into a boat with his disciples and immediately falls asleep. The disciples are expecting a calm trip…

In Matthew 8, an exhausted Jesus climbs into a boat with his disciples and immediately falls asleep. The disciples are expecting a calm trip…

“Give it a few years, you’ll be more suited for motherhood when they’re older…

A few years ago, a light bulb went on in my marriage. While on a weekend getaway with some couple friends, we were asked: “What have your biggest marital arguments been about?” As we answered, an embarrassing and unfortunate…

We have a Savior who is as much coming as he is come. The beautiful yet sometimes excruciating tension of the “now and not yet” can cause us to stumble and to doubt the risen Jesus. I look at my feet and I trip. I look ahead and I walk…

I might not labor or spin, but I sure do know how to worry. I can fret with the best of them—I can spin possible negative outcomes that would make TV writers beg me to lend them a twist ending…

I’m so excited to bring you a second series of What She Said! Your response to the summer series encouraged me to recruit six more guest writers. Each one brings a different style and personality but the same passion for offering help and hope…

This is our last devotional in the Life-Giving Encouragement series and it seems appropriate for us to circle back to where we started. In our first week, Jane Anne Wilson shared her thoughts on what it means to be a life-taker vs. a life-giver…