In November I began receiving e-mails for Black Friday sales. Now, in December, the e-mail ads continue. I have spent time scrolling through the catalogue of sale items, looking for gifts. It is good to give gifts at Christmas, but it is more important to receive God’s gift. God sent…
From Thanksgiving to Christmas –and everyday–it is good to remember God’s blessings and gifts. It is good to give thanks. We are entering Advent when we can focus on Jesus, the light of the world. In our neighborhood the skeletons and graveyards are gone from front lawns. Instead of dark…
Life on earth is an adventure. We experience both joy and sorrow. Sometimes we encounter very difficult challenges—illness within the family, loss of a job, tragedies caused by extreme weather, death of a loved one. My brother’s illness was a crisis in my family. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia when…
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18 On the evening before Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus demonstrated perfect love. Over the past week I have read and reread chapter 17 in the gospel of John. After the last supper…
The Bible records episodes in the lives of families. It is amazing the genealogy that is maintained in detail. The lives of two women mentioned in Matthew 1:5 intersect in a fascinating way. Rahab and Ruth left their country and culture because the were attentive to God’s work in the…
Men and women are created by God, equal with different roles. How did Jesus treat women? He included women in his teaching, he healed them, he encouraged them. In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well. The encounter is unusual for several reasons. Jews…
Tragic events happen. Yesterday I went to the funeral for a young man, just 31 years old. There were unanswered questions about his death, but the service provided a message of hope. Thirty-four years ago, my son passed away after a two year battle with leukemia. The pain of his…