Shining Brightly Together Reigniting Our Faith in Community by Lynne Miller Lent As the gentle melody of “Jesus Loves Me” faded away, the children settled in at the front of the church for a children’s story. A church member, a farmer by trade, sat down on the altar steps in front of the kids. In […]
Do You Want to Grow Tall? Putting Down Roots for Deeper Faith by Colleen Ingram On a winding road heading upward into the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, my friend and I pulled over to watch the sunset. My gaze shifted between near and far. Looking into the distance, it was obvious how this […]
Finding Freedom in His Presence When God Meets Us in the Garden by Sarah A. Mohr Raspberries grow in abundance at the back of my garden. Last summer, I added an arched trellis to redirect many of the wayward vines. This process required me to dig into vines and thorns that inevitably snagged on […]
Lover of Beauty, Giver of Peace by Suzanne Felton A faint pink halo outlined the massive, jagged silhouette of the mountain far across the river. All was still except for the rippling roar of the water and the rhythmic, back-and-forth motion of my husband’s fly rod in its midst. Little by little, new sun […]
When Life Feels Like Walking on a Balance Beam by Bethany Broderick I watch my six-year-old daughter’s calf muscles flex as she struggles to remain centered on the balance beam. She tilts to the left, then back to the right, before taking her final trip down the beam in tiny hops. I clap for […]
Let God Guide Your Sailing by Shelli Halbersma I was home from college for the summer, working at a local deli and serving at a nearby Bible camp. I loved creating memorable experiences for the campers, and that summer, one of those experiences involved the camp’s sailboat. Nestled on the beach near the often-used […]
Where Do You Live? Dwelling Where I Was Never Meant to Live by Megan Rea “So, where do you live?” Seems like an innocuous enough question, right? “I live in the suburbs of Chicago.” “I live just down the street.” “I live in a brownstone walk-up in New York City, steps away from the […]
Joy in the Cracks Using Scripture to Battle Bitterness and Choose Joy by Kristine Amundrud Somewhere in my journal from years ago, a phrase is marked as a reminder on weathered paper: Happiness depends on circumstances—joy depends on God. It spoke to me in that particular season, and it still resonates now. I have […]
When You Don’t Feel Like Enough Embracing God’s Grace for Your Life by Stephanie Jordan Every spring, I am fooled into believing that I have a green thumb. Can you relate? The weather is gorgeous, plants are blooming, and trees are blossoming into their green glory. I could sit outside all day and play […]
Finding Peace in His Presence Making God Your Dwelling Place by Dr. Gladys Childs The week before my brother died, I was reminded of our longing for a place of peace—a place where we can dwell securely—just as God invites us to dwell in His presence. As cancer burned through his body, my brother […]