It’s been a day of contrasts. Much of my morning was spent with police officers and an unruly patron. My lunch was with a dear friend over tomato soup and quiche. My afternoon was caught up again with some of our regular patrons and a complaint aimed at a colleague, while my dinner was spent … More For and Against
Sometimes God has to get us out of our seats, because he’s got someone we need to meet. That happened to me today, an otherwise ordinary day. I’d been sitting at my desk too long, and felt the need to move. After checking on staff, I turned to go back toward my office, and there … More Eternity in your heart
My dear sister and brother-in-law gave me free tickets to a Christmas concert this past week, and something interesting happened. As I listened to the words of some familiar songs — I started crying — not through the entire concert, but when touched by a particular phrase being sung. I realized the power of the … More Desire of nations
He wasn’t talking about Peter when he said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” No, you have to read the whole passage in Matthew 16, to understand what Jesus was saying. He’d … More The Gates of Hell
I taught the children’s Sunday School class last week, and though I accepted the task with fear and trepidation, I must say I had a great time. It’s been a while since I’ve taught children, but this group of six were amazing. We were talking about the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, and … More The Importance of Touch
When you think of persecuted Christians, does your mind go to countries across the ocean? It’s a natural reaction, and on most days, mine does as well. Today, however, persecution is in our backyard, not only because it was the topic of today’s sermon at my church, but a conversation I had afterwards with a … More What do we know of persecution?
Tears flowed as I heard the news, even though I had expected the outcome. A dear brother asked us to pray a couple of weeks ago about an impending visit. A friend of his would be traveling to his home country and making a visit to this brother’s family. Why should it be a problem? … More Disowned
Do you struggle with prayer? You are not alone. Yet, before I share my thoughts on what prayer is, it’s important to recognize what it is not. The word itself holds different meanings for different people, and I believe the prayer we’re taught and modeled by Christ himself, is unique from that of other religions. … More Does prayer matter?
A young 11-year-old girl sits in a Christian ministry center in Iraq. Her name is Mariam. For three years she has been separated from her mother, who was kidnapped by ISIS fighters in 2015. Today, she would see her again. She waited, unsure of what was to come. Mariam’s eyes brighten when she sees her … More Whose baby is that?
It’s coming from all directions today. A church member has two sister-in-laws in the hospital in different parts of the country, and he’s trying to comfort both of his siblings, who are hurting. This is just one of many things hitting him in the past few months. An ESL volunteer needs prayer for work, as … More We all need prayer
