Every time I read about Mary’s conversation with the angel who was sent to tell her she was chosen to carry the Savior of humanity, I’m amazed. Her simple surrender in Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant . . . May your word to me be fulfilled,” transformed the world. We don’t know if…
It’s the best time of the year! But wait—is it? Let’s be honest. I really want it to be. I absolutely love Thanksgiving, and I head into December with the very best intentions, but inevitably, something happens . . . Turkey Day brings all of our family together for a feast fit for a king….
At the top of my list last Christmas was a simple sweatshirt from Preemptive Love Coalition with the words “Love Anyway” written across the front of it. After a brief time volunteering with a group of Turkish refugees who wanted to learn English, the message of loving despite differences or cost had never been closer…
Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. (1 Peter 4:9–10 CSB) Do you think people tend to be self-centered? I do, and I think it about myself, not just others. Self-centeredness seems to…
It’s often said that for those of us who live in North Dakota, June is our reward for January. On our farm, June is perfection. The days are long and warm, and the evenings are cool. The landscape is green, growing, and lush, and our sheep and cows graze belly-deep in grasses and forbs. The…
You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. (Deuteronomy 11:1 ESV) “I forgot real quick,” my younger daughter says when I scold her for doing something I asked her not to do a few minutes earlier. Her brutal honesty is humorous after the…