Among Christians, there’s always a lot of talk about God’s will and God’s path for us. If we, as Christians, can figure it out and follow along willingly, we believe life will be more joyous. It doesn’t mean life will be without hardship and heartbreak, just more hopeful and manageable. I didn’t grow up with…
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my son hold the side of the clay bowl between his fingers and lightly pinch it. He rubbed with his thumb while pushing gently from the other side to ensure it didn’t crack too much. When tiny cracks inevitably formed along the top edge of the…
Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. (Ps. 81:1-3 ESV) When I think about listening to God’s commands, I typically think…
There’s a prevailing belief among Christians that once a person accepts Jesus into their heart, their life will immediately become easier and they will experience fewer struggles. I have been a victim of this thinking before. When a new hardship invariably comes along (because this world has many troubles), we feel devastated. We erroneously believe…
No one could have prepared me for how hard things would be, but I could feel the prayers. They were lifting each foot as I walked, carrying me around the grocery store and holding me together when I could no longer think straight. They were with me in the middle of the night when I…
I am an oldest child. I am a planner and a goal-setter. I have big dreams and plans, and I know exactly how I am going to get there. Then came the drought of 2021. The average rainfall on our North Dakota farm during the growing season is eighteen inches. This year we have had…