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To those who mourn, to those whose hearts are weighed down there is peace—there is hope in the renewal of the season. There is joy in the sowing of new seeds. The Creator of the earth assembled the seasons as a reminder of the seasons in our lives, of the renewal He grants us if […]
At the beginning of the last week of His life, the Lord entered into Jerusalem amid waving palm branches and shouts of adulation. He made His triumphant entrance riding upon a colt over the carefully placed clothing of believers.1 In His honor the great multitude cried, “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh […]
One cannot think of Jesus Christ without pondering His supernal inner peace, His meekness, His courage and strength. And while these might appear contradictions, or qualities impossible to be embodied in one person—Jesus encompassed them all. This is the child, born in a lowly stable, who would change the world. The angel’s words to the […]
There’s something so forgiving about freshly fallen snow. No longer visible are the unraked leaves, brown patches of lawn, and roofs in need of repair. In one merciful swipe of winter’s wand, the snow falls and all is white and wonderful. A blanket of freshly fallen snow has long been a symbol of forgiveness. The […]
There are many who sit on the sidelines of life, who stare at the dance floor from a dark corner never imagining themselves with a partner who takes them by the hand and leads them to a better place. A place where smiles abound and social judgments don’t exist. We all want to be chosen […]
Perhaps no other event tears at the hearts of parents more than the loss of a child. Life is fragile enough for adults; but seeing the innocent disappear is often more than we can bear. News of abductions carried throughout the media only spread the anxiety to a wider audience. We feel a part of […]
In 1908 while still a young Harvard graduate student, Edward Sheldon’s first play became a Broadway hit. The series of successes that followed made Sheldon the most promising playwright of his time. Indeed he was known as Broadway’s “Wonder Boy.” But just as he was approaching what should have been the pinnacle of his career, […]
Life has its share of stormy weather. And while we welcome peaceful sunny days, the stormy ones also bring their blessings. It was during such a stormy day on the Sea of Galilee that the Lord rebuked the wind, calmed the waves, and spoke the soothing words, “Peace be still.” As Master of all […]
The first annual family reunion that took place in June of 2000 in Pikeville, Kentucky, looked like any other. But this reunion was actually quite unusual. It was held for two families—two families famous for their ancestors who were entangled in one of the longest and most lethal family feuds in history: the Hatfields and […]
Professional basketball is a game of giants. It’s a game where seven-foot-tall players are the rule rather than the exception. Professional basketball is also the setting for a most unlikely success story. In 1987, the Washington Bullets drafted an outstanding player named Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues. He was a first-team, all-conference star at Wake Forest University, […]
Now with silver hair and careful steps, the couple slowly walks the lane that leads from their home. It’s time for their daily stroll. Their steps are unhurried, their eyesight dimmed, but beating in their hearts is a love and commitment that passersby can almost feel. They walk hand in hand, as they’ve done since […]
From time to time, the local newspaper features a letter to the editor that expresses thanks for random acts of kindness. The other day a grandmother whose car had stalled wrote in. She didn’t get the rescuer’s name, and so she sent a letter of thanks hoping it would somehow reach her good Samaritan. Most […]
One of the biggest surprises in parenting is how varied the results can be. No other field of endeavor is as hard to predict. Most parents relish the opportunity to have children to teach and guide, to nurture to adulthood. But despite their best efforts, some parents find their children departing from the values and […]
The dusty paths that crisscross Africa have been accommodating footsteps for thousands of years. Here the shepherd, the teacher, the mother, the child, even the warrior slowly make their way in the heat of one season and the rains of the other. And yet, this path, so familiar to locals, was very unfamiliar to Albert […]
It’s been said that an eagle knows when a storm is coming long before it breaks. The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, the great bird sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. […]
Marie, the mother of seven-year-old Sara, had been learning the value of listening without interrupting with solutions of reprimands. The opportunity to user her newfound communications skills came when her little girl ran into the house from school in tears. “What’s the matter, Sara?” she asked. Sara was so upset she could hardly talk. Through […]
Many a cowboy song has been sung about mending fences. Perhaps the beauty of the American West inspired so many dusty poets. Or maybe earning a living under a harsh sun or a winter wind constantly reminded them of how valuable a trusted friend really was. It could get pretty lonely if the only two […]
Giving and receiving are what Christmas is all about. Not just the gaily wrapped presents under a Christmas tree or the carefully made remembrances for loved ones. No, giving in the truest sense of Christmas means receiving a sacred gift first. It began when the Father gave His Son to the world on a still […]
In 1934 Therin and Reta Hyde moved to the wilderness in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Work was hard to find in those days. This great nation of ours was in the midst of enormous change that left many families wanting for food and shelter. But Therin found work in the Nevada mines. So the two […]
The advent of Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year. Halls are decked; mistletoe is hung; bows are tied; lights are lit; and the countdown begins. Almost in unison, the world waits for Christmas. The elderly watch for it in the eyes of a child. The discouraged listen for it in […]
Today we “sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving”;1 we offer grateful hearts to the Giver of life and breath. Instead of pondering all that we need or all that we want, let us sing the song of gratitude. Like faithful pilgrims who crossed oceans of uncertainty and planted seeds of hope in a strange land, […]
Carl and Linda have been married for longer than they’ll admit. They’ve enjoyed the kind of contentment that comes from hard work and a little bit of good fortune. But as they both retired, settling into the country-club lifestyle or roaming the back roads armed with cameras and paint sets just didn’t seem right. So […]
In a small New England town, on many a Sunday you can walk the narrow streets nearly alone. Sundays are quiet there. There are no shopping malls, no seven-day-a-week supermarkets. At the only main intersection, a church on each corner looks over the town like four sentries encamped among the sugar maples and row houses. […]
Not long ago a mother was reading her three-year-old son a bedtime story about brown bears and red birds. When the story was finished, the boy asked who made bears and birds. The mother explained that God was the Creator; He created all things—even us. The boy, deep in thought for a moment, said, “Hmm, […]
If you’ve ever been to the ocean, you know how powerful riptides can be. If you get caught in one and try to swim back to shore against the current, you’ll soon become exhausted. But if you change your direction and swim parallel to the shore for a short distance, you’ll soon move out of […]
Stuart’s fondest childhood memory is a baseball game. It wasn’t the big leagues—just a backyard game played on the hot grass of summer with makeshift bases. Stuart doesn’t remember winning or losing; he remembers the game because it was the last time he could run. Shortly afterward, Stuart was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. He was […]
In a typical neighborhood crisscrossed with sidewalks and narrow lanes, seven-year-old Matthew had what he believed to be a brilliant idea. He’d gotten a new pair of roller skates for his birthday, and as he put them on, his dog—a large dog named Lucky—licked at his hands. The boy suddenly realized that he wouldn’t have […]
In every age to every people, God opens His arms to His children. With all the love of a tender parent, He invites us to come unto Him. But He never forces or manipulates. He respects our agency and allows us to choose whether or not to receive His offering and feel His love. In […]
A young bride was disheartened several weeks after her marriage to learn that her Prince Charming was not the fantasy creation of her dreams, but a human after all, and one who sometimes forgot to pick up his socks. As the months rolled by, she noticed fault after fault, making a mental list of the […]
In life and in the quiet recesses of the heart, it only takes one light to chase away the darkness—as a young couple found out years ago. The storm was one of the worst in two decades. The young father and mother, traveling home with two small children, had decided to drive all night while […]