“'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' ... and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: '... Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!'” (Luke 1:38.41-44). I once heard a call…
How to Pray by Listening by Crickett Keeth How would you describe your time in prayer? Do you do most of the talking, or is there a balance with listening? When we hear the words pray or prayer, we tend to think of speaking, not listening. When we pray, we…
Orchid blooms bowed toward me as I circled the aisle. I selected a tall beauty with gorgeous, snowy blooms. The horticulturalist grinned as she helped me take the plant down from its perch. "This is a good one. See, the flowers haven't all opened yet." As we began the transaction,…
"Why?" I thrust my hands upward and wailed to the ceiling. "Why does it have to be so HARD?" The alleged two-step cabinet refinishing project had taken five steps and as many days. Bruised, blistered, and sore, I teetered on the edge of the countertop in an effort to replace the…
"Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume;…
Ah, the elusive writer. One might hear an author's voice in an audiobook or on a radio program. Rare sightings of these legendary figures occur at workshops or book signings. Otherwise, years of searching might fail to spy one on the roads. Few have seen a real-life author in her natural habitat.…
Has anything in your life gripped hold of your shoulders and held you down? Pressed its weight on your chest until you're straining for each breath? Darkness attacks when we're most vulnerable. Seizing us in its terrifying hold, the enemy crushes our strength in an effort to cripple us. Shadows zoom…
The Last Supper, also known as Maundy Thursday: "When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds…
"Some wandered in desert wastelands, . . . hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord . . . and he delivered them . . . Let them give thanks to the Lord . . . for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with…
"Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe" (Psalm 107:2). Facebook overflows with national headlines about politics and tragedies. Celebrity quotes buzz from Twitter as if it were a beaten wasp nest. Instagram, Periscope, and Pinterest offer the newest trends and…