I am still recovering from our youngest son’s wedding celebration last month. What a tangle of emotions in the midst of stress, smiles, tears, and joy! Upon reflection, I can’t help but also think about the greatest wedding yet to come—when we, the bride of Christ, finally celebrate our union with Jesus. So here are some wedding vignettes and spiritual...
Listen: To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices (Mark 12:33). Reflect: How do we put God first in all our affections, thoughts, and energy? Without the Holy Spirit, it’s impossible! God is the one who...
We love because he first loved us (I John 4:19). Years ago I attended a women’s retreat where a Jewish wedding canopy (chuppah) was set up in one area. A bridal veil was provided, and we were invited to take communion as we felt ready. For me, it became a profound encounter with Jesus as I wept and worshiped him...
Pregnancy means all kinds of body changes and discomforts. Those nine months are usually not described as floating on a euphoric cloud of bliss. As one mom put it: “Life is tough enough without having someone kick you from the inside.” So, dear pregnant lady (insert name), you’ve got to keep your sense of humor with jokes like this one:...
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (II Corinthians 1:3). How do you live in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, and loss? How will our brothers and sisters in Ukraine find comfort in their distress? How will we? God often uses our testimonies to encourage...
Jesus said to Peter, Unless I wash you, you have no part with me (John 13:8). Jill Biden disguised herself as a stewardess on a flight returning to Washington D.C, and then served the members of the media and her staff. No one recognized the First Lady until she removed her wig and with a huge grin announced, “April Fools!” ...
By mid November, several people had told me they had already decorated for Christmas. When I expressed surprise, one person said, “Christmas just makes me happy.” Can we blame people for wanting “happy” to come early? And we’d like everything that Christmas symbolizes to stay around too! I recently heard a new song, “Christmas Every Day,” that David Archuleta released...
Fall in eastern Germany meant fog blanketing rolling fields; savoring freshly dug potatoes roasted over a fire; and riding the horse-drawn wagon, decorated with festive tree, to bring in the last crop of wheat to the barn. On Thanksgiving Sunday, farmers brought yellow and red apples, pears, bright orange pumpkins, cabbages, onions, nuts, and bundled stalks of grain to decorate...
Listen: You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. NRSV (Psalm 119:114) Reflect: As a little girl, my secret hideout lay down an embankment next to the rural road where I lived. At the bottom, pussy willow trees hid me well as I sat next to a small stream that meandered through marshy vegetation. It...
Why did Simon the Pharisee invite Jesus to his home? Perhaps he saw this charismatic Rabbi more as a night of entertainment than someone he cared about personally. He seems unusually negligent in following basic etiquette to host an honored guest. What does this say about him? That he was ambivalent about Jesus, or cavalier? (Quickly read Luke 7:36-56 at...
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How we're growing in Christ.
And what it means to be a Christian today.
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