For almost two decades, I taught high school English and spent most of my day reading stories with teenagers. I created a handout for my students to learn the key elements of a great story. Together, we would analyze the plot, identify the key moments, and discuss what made the
Ten years before I met my husband, I thought God had planned for me to marry another man. I moved forward in this relationship believing that I knew exactly what God’s will was—except it wasn’t. I ended up alone and heartbroken and wondering what went wrong. I realize now that
We were sitting on the couch in our pajamas reading a story and eating goldfish crackers. “Wasn’t that a great story about Jesus? We love Jesus!” I exclaimed to my grandson as I laid the children’s Bible on the coffee table. Suddenly, the pint-sized evangelist sitting between my husband
In January 2021, Forbes Magazine published a sobering article titled “One in Eight Christians Worldwide Live in Countries Where They May Face Persecution.” Over 340 million believers in Jesus remain faithful to Jesus in countries where they endure personal attacks and discrimination for their commitment to the gospel. Thousands of
In his noteworthy book Mere Christianity, theologian C.S. Lewis said: “Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.” Jesus is the Son of
In the 1970’s an American musical genius named Stevie Wonder released a catchy tune titled “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” The title of the song was taken from a legal term for the contractual deed indicating the validity of a finalized business transaction. A formal title document was signed by the seller
Years ago, I got a text message from one of the pastors at our church asking us to pray for his close friend. All we knew was that the man and his wife were at the hospital. I remember that my husband and I stood in our kitchen and clasped
On my kitchen counter you will find two large glass jars filled with colorful slips of paper. My husband placed them side by side next to the coffeemaker a while back, and just looking at them makes me smile. Those dollar store containers hold treasure. Each Sunday during lunch, my
I sat across from a friend sharing coffee and conversation when I confessed a longing I had been hiding. After the words were out of my mouth, I almost wished I could push the rewind button and take the desire of my heart back. But the words had been spoken,
I see her in my mind’s eye: an insecure girl wearing flat shoes and a bright neon shirt. She is sitting at a desk in a crowded classroom holding a Trapper Keeper and hoping someone will notice her sassy new haircut and say she looks cute. Her stomach is in