The conversation ended, and I felt hollow. The words spoken sucked the joy right out of me and dried up my soul. I knew I should not engage in such a thorny conversation. But the poisonous seeds were quickly scattered, and I didn’t know how to stop them from taking root in the soil of…
On February 28, 1944, Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested by the Gestapo in Holland for hiding Jewish refugees in their home. Their courageous effort to save lives from Nazi extermination led to their own incarceration in Ravensbruck. Stripped of their dignity and freedom, the sisters managed to smuggle a Bible into their…
A couple of years ago, Bruce and I were getting ready for bed when I noticed a bright light flooding through our bedroom window. My internal radar sounded an alarm as the flash flowed toward our backyard. “Someone is out there!” I squealed. My sleepy-faced husband sat up in bed, parted the blinds, and scanned…
In the late 1960’s, a popular cartoon portrayed a dog named Shoeshine Boy who would step into a phone booth and transform into a superhero named Underdog to fight crime. Like any underdog, however, his “powers” were at times inconsistent and problematic. While trying to save the world, the dog wearing a cape would cause…
I spent my morning with Jesus. I welled up in tears as He carried an instrument of execution on His back until He could walk no more. I stifled a cry and flinched as the nails were pounded into His open, surrendered hands. I wretched at the scent of blood from His gaping wounds. He…
Nothing puts out the fire in my heart faster than negativity. I will spend most of my day whistling a happy tune, and then suddenly a deluge of apathy and antagonism crashes like a tsunami right in front of me. Sometimes, it’s an unexpected phone call from a Debbie Downer family member. Nothing prepares…