“I can’t bear the thought of my husband rotting in the grave, just waiting for Jesus to return.” A friend of mine, a widow, was looking for some comfort. She had read that “the dead in Christ shall rise first” at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16 KJV). Read More

After fifteen years of loyal companionship, a beloved pet gets sick. The vet can’t do anything but assure the animal of a painless death. For the pet owner, the loss is devastating. A “best friend” is gone. The pain is often compounded by people who just don’t understand. Read More

I remember when I first started to give away part of my money. I was 4 years old, and it definitely wasn’t my decision. My parents told me that it was part of the deal if I was going to get my allowance of $1 per week: I would… Read More

As I write this blog on December 22, I have checked a lot of things off my Christmas “to-do” list. I have: Made my family’s famous Christmas cookies—the kind my grandma, mom and aunts have made every year since 1953, when my grandma clipped the recipe from a… Read More

Some words stay with you. Several years ago, I was struggling to get into the habit of reading the Bible. Not only did I not know where to begin, but I also lacked the discipline to stick to a regular routine. I asked a leader in my church for some… Read More

This week President Obama announced that the United States would begin to normalize relations with Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years. We still don’t know the full consequences of this decision, but they have the potential to open Cuba to fresh influences and could be… Read More

Christmas is often called the most wonderful time of the year, marked by smiling faces, excitement in the air, and friends and family gathered to celebrate Christ’s birth. Yet for those dealing with feelings of loneliness, the Christmas season can be brutal. Maybe you feel like you are… Read More

“Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice” (James 1:22 GNT). Thorough Bible study does not end in your head. It filters out through your synapses and sinews. You become a doer of what God says, putting into practice what you’ve learned. Read More

If you’re not laughing out loud when you read some parts of the Bible, you’re missing the point. I’m not denying the serious impact of the Scriptures, but some stories and sayings are just funny. This is especially true in the teachings of Jesus, who was not only… Read More

Everybody hears Psalm 23 at funerals and 1 Corinthians 13 at weddings. The biblical language seems quaint, important and reassuring. But can we get behind the religious-sounding cadences and tap into some real meaning? Is it possible to get a message for today from those long-ago documents? Oh, sure,… Read More