Why Should I Trust the Bible?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzZnW7r5Ygk] There is no doubt that the Bible tells some of the greatest stories of all time. There are countless stories: like the one about a great flood, a shepherd boy beheading a giant, a man impaled on a cross, and another about an empty grave. The battles are fierce and the songs are captivating. But,...

A Notch On My Belt

I was an all-around superstar.  Whether it was school, sports, volunteering, or leadership I did it all -- and did it very well. It wasn't even about the limelight; I just loved knowing that people were talking about me! I thought all my efforts of being "good" was all for God's glory -- but who was I kidding? My entire identity was rooted in...

A Mother's Worst Nightmare

Twelve days after celebrating her son Jordan’s wedding, Shirley Thiessen got the phone call every parent dreads. Her son, just 23 years old, had died in a workplace accident. Hours before the phone call that changed her life, Shirley purchased a beautiful black dress. Shirley said, “To think that the God of the universe would take care of...

Exactly 5 years ago I asked Olive to marry me. Rather than popping the question with a diamond ring, I planned to propose to her with a goat. It wasn’t a pet goat for her to keep in the yard and take for walks; it was a goat to give away to a family in need. It was what she wanted, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to spend the rest of

A Good God in a Dark World

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOpGTazwaEo] If God is loving and good, then why did my mom die of cancer? Perhaps you or someone you know is going through tremendous suffering -- poverty, unemployment, or a sudden death in the family. Suffering comes in varied forms, but every single person in the world has endured it. How do you reconcile...

Does experiencing God’s love make you want to give?  Some current social scientific research suggests it might. University of Akron sociologist Matthew T. Lee says, “Millions of Americans frequently experience divine love and for them this sense of God’s love not only enhances existential well-being, but underlies a sense of personal meaning...

At age 12 years and 11 months our middle son, Clark, made his request. “Mom, I will be 13 soon and I’d really like a hamster for my birthday.” Then he waited silently, eyebrows peaked, brown eyes begging. “They’re so cute, Mom.” As the voice in my head screamed, “There will be no rodents living in my house!” I heard myself gently...