“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NIV) One thing I enjoy about studying the Bible is when new things pop out at me. Recently, I have been amazed at the number of times I…
I abhor running. I have a workout shirt that reads, “If you see me running, please kill whatever is chasing me.” When I think about endurance, I think about runners. I’ve managed to eke out a 5k where my feet left the ground at just enough speed to be considered a jog for the duration…
I’m a teacher at heart, but I didn’t stand in front of a classroom until I was forty-five years old. I’m also a confirmed introvert whose lifelong policy has been to keep quiet, shrink into the background, and observe but not be observed. This is why I so vividly remember the day—the moment—I stood in…
On May 6, 2013 Amanda Berry, an Ohio woman held captive for ten years, found freedom. Amanda and two other women had been abducted, starved, beaten, and raped year after year. But one night, Amanda found the courage to scream for help and was able to call 9-1-1 saying, “I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been…
I am both privileged and thankful to say that my childhood was mostly happy. Almost every day was graced with laughter, friendship, family, food, and fun. My best friend lived only a few doors down, and we recklessly chased adventures all over our neighborhood. Winters were truly wonderlands. Summers smelled of hot dogs, macaroni, and…
Today I woke in pain again, after a fitful night of little sleep. This season of pain has been long. Beginning in sixth grade with a knee injury and then throughout my life, including at all major life events, I have dealt with this same nagging pain of severe osteoarthritis. Spending my first day of…