Expenses mount. Windows of opportunity seem nailed shut. Physical pain and emotional lows weigh us down. Ordinary tasks of laundry and housework grow overwhelming. The pits of life can feel impossibly dark and leave us certain of defeat. I've been there. The pit tempts me to return often, even daily in…
Listen to the cries around us. Of mourning, trauma history, poverty, and endless types of suffering. We've all experienced troubles at some point in our lives and most of us can voice some level of discontent about our current situation as well. When we add our problems to the…
"With bitterness archers attacked him . . . But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel . . . because of the Almighty, who blesses you" (Genesis 49:23-25). A chill brushes…
"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16). As we visited Busch Gardens' one day, I observed a toddler patting the glass of a wildlife enclosure. A lioness sprang toward him from the other side. Massive…
"Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness . . ." (Ephesians 6:14) Aim small, miss small. The tactical advice to aim for the chest cavity resounds across historical millenia like an ancient battle chant. Though a head injury ensures devastating results, an…
"Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness . . ." (Ephesians 6:14) Aim small, miss small. The tactical advice to aim for the chest cavity resounds across historical millenia like an ancient battle chant. Though a head injury ensures devastating results, an…
Trillions of subatomic energy particles streak across space and dive into the atmosphere. Their scintillating wake revitalizes the air, illuminates my window, and massages vital warmth into cell tissues as they pass through my body. I cannot sense this process any more than I can discern which gases comprise my breath-concoction or count…
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." --John 10:10 I played soccer worse than any kid in junior high--not an exaggeration. No one passed the ball to me on purpose, but one deflected kick sent it…