I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the theory that the earth and the living organisms on it “just happened.” I’m a creative person. Give me a lump of play-doh and I can make just about any animal. I really like making elephants. No idea why. But in…

When I taught fifth grade (miss those days!), the first two days of a new school year were pretty much “get acquainted” days. It wouldn’t have been fair for me to place expectations on kids before they knew what the expectations were, so we spent time laying out the classroom…

Jesus told many parables, and one of my favorites is the prodigal son. Every time I think about that father watching from the window, hoping for a glimpse of his beloved child, then running to greet the boy who’d rebelled and disappointed him, I get choked up. That boy had…

You’ve heard it said ’tis better to give than to receive. There’s a lot of truth to the saying. I’m sure you can recall a time you found the perfect gift for someone and it gave you tremendous joy to offer it to them. God experiences tremendous joy when one…

HYMN DAY! “Just When I Need Him Most” by William C. Poole. 1. Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, Just when I falter, just when I fear; Ready to help me, ready to cheer, Just when I need Him most. Refrain: Just when I need Him most, Just…

The last sentence of this verse—“You are my God”—gives me the happy kind of chills. MY speaks of a personal relationship. When something belongs to us, we take care of it. It’s important to us. My relationship with my Father-God is the most important relationship I have or ever will…

When my girls were little and they had a question, they would tug at my hand. I’d lean down to their level, listen to whatever troubled them, and respond accordingly. Even now that they’re all grown and have children of their own, I still get an occasional phone call: “Mom,…

It’s tough to be a Christian sometimes (just read the news…). People aren’t always kind or understanding or “tolerant.” Sometimes they outright reject us because we don’t participate in activities the world views as acceptable. But we should never allow the world’s view to change our moral compass. We might…

I’ve always been a daddy’s girl. When I was growing up, there was no greater punishment than my dad’s disappointment. My love and respect for him kept me from doing a lot of things because I knew he wouldn’t approve. As much as Daddy loved me, God loves me more.…

HYMN DAY! “Jesus Is Lord of All” by LeRoy McLard is a bold proclamation. I pray it is yours to make, because if it is, you’ve discovered the Source of true joy. (Photo compliments of Phoebe Janzen) 1 Jesus is Savior and Lord of my life, My hope, my glory,…