The smell of freshly baked gingerbread came from the kitchen and the lights on the tree glowed as I sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the moment. But it hasn’t always been this way. There was a time when I simply did not want to have Christmas at all. Just dragging the tree out and decorating the house left me feeling like my body was encased...

One of my favorite questions to ask my three year old daughter is, “Why are you special?” She enthusiastically replies, “Because God made me!” The best part is when she proceeds to tell me all the parts that He made while pointing to each one. “God made my elbows,” she says, as she proudly points them both at me. “He made my legs,”...

Last summer my husband and I embarked on a ninety-day, 7000 mile road-trip around the western United States. The trip was a dream come true, one that we had been planning for several years. Our itinerary revolved around our shared passions of camping, rock climbing and mountain biking, which filled the months with adventure, amazing scenery and accomplishment....

It takes time to build a new community of friends and right now, I'm tired, my heart is burdened and I’m a little sad. I don't want to wait to meet new people. There are things I want to share right now, thoughts I’d like to bounce around. I feel like I don't know who I can turn to just to "be" with me. I wanted to eat lunch with a friend...

Can God and politics mix?  Is blending them a recipe for suppressing freedoms, grabbing votes, or promoting the public good? God-talk has become popular among US politicians. Leaders contemplating faith-in-action would do well to look back two centuries to William Wilberforce, the famous British parliamentarian who led a grueling but bipartisan...

  Do you want the strength to face life’s challenges? Take our free online study and learn how to stand up to your fears with strength and courage.   All my life, I’ve been told that I was beautiful - by my parents, my family, and my extended church family. Never once in my life had anyone that I loved and respected planted...

It was a late, dark night as I left the restaurant, and the parking lot was empty. As I made my way to my car I scanned around me, checking to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary.  In the corner of my eye I caught movement, and turned warily to my left.  There I saw a dark, hunched over shadow coming towards me.  His clothes were tattered...