Blessed to Be a Blessing
During my years as a journalist, I enjoyed telling other people’s stories, but I was trained to not share my own opinions. So years after I...
Reverent Fear
Jeremy writes, “I know quite a bit about the fear of dying. Seven years ago . . . I felt intense, sickening, dizzying, overwhelming f...
God’s Perfect Care
David Vetter died at age twelve after spending his entire life in a bubble. Nicknamed “The Bubble Boy,” David was born with severe co...
Christ Matters Most
My wife and I like cheesy, feel-good romantic movies. I could say it’s her thing. But I like ’em too. Their charm and appeal lies in ...
God’s Promises
It was painful to see my dad losing his memory. Dementia is cruel, taking away all the recollections of people until there’s no remembrance...
Recognizing God
I flew to India, a land I’d never visited, and arrived at the Bengaluru airport after midnight. Though there’d been a flurry of email...
The Gift of Trials
The two men conquered human flight, but the Wright brothers’ journey to success was never easy. Despite countless failures, ridicule, money...
Let My People Go
The acclaimed painting Let My People Go by Aaron Douglas uses vibrant colors of lavender, green, and gold, along with traditional African imagery...
Still Fruitful for God
There’s an old folktale about a woman who carried water home every day from a river using two buckets at either end of a long pole—on...
Made Right with Jesus
“We’re ready to board our flight to Montego Bay,” came the announcement. I was traveling as a speaker for and leader of a high ...
Don’t Lose Heart
Weary. That’s how Satya felt after nine months in his new job. As a believer in Jesus, he’d sought to follow God’s principles i...
Easy and Hard
Mark was a promising young pastor. Then one morning his son, Owen, collapsed and died while kicking a ball with him. Mark was devastated and stil...
A New Beginning with God
“Did your sin also put Jesus on the cross?” That’s the question Dutch painter Rembrandt seems to be asking in his 1633 masterpi...
Walking with God
For years, fitness experts have stressed the importance of running for cardiovascular health. But recent scientific studies have demonstrated tha...
Scouting for Truth
Reflecting on why people tend to be entirely convinced they’re right—even when they’re not—author Julia Galef suggests th...
God Will Act
A hardworking clerk, Erin always did her job well. But after she was accused of dishonesty, Erin was put on leave while being investigated. She f...
Out of the Mouths of . . .
What if you could understand what your dog was saying? New technology uses “bark” recognition to help determine what feelings canines...
What Scripture Reveals
In April 1817, a disoriented young woman was found wandering around in Gloucestershire, England, wearing exotic clothes and speaking an unknown l...
Better than Life
After another unexpected health setback, I joined my husband and others during a retreat in the mountains. I trudged up the wooden staircase that...
A Deaf Heart
To improve her sign language skills, Leisa immersed herself in the world of the Deaf. Soon she learned the problems they face. The Deaf are awkwa...
Seeing God in Creation
Kenny stood before the congregation he’d left years before after he’d lost faith in God. He shared that his belief had been restored....
Little Town of Bethlehem
Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to the beloved carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” after visiting Bethlehem. Brooks, pastor of a chur...
God Knows Everything
God truly knows all. But according to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the National Security Agency knows a great deal about as well throug...
Giving Back to God
One year, the leaders of our congregation invited us to give, in addition to our regular weekly offerings, gifts to build a new gymnasium—a...
