One of my friends in high school suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. I tried to reassure my friend that I would always be there for support and encouragement, which my...

I recently began a new hobby: candle making. In my first class, I made a candle by layering different shades of blue. I had to wait for the first layer to...

As I got home with a car full of groceries, my buddies — a pair of four-foot-tall sandhill cranes who wander the neighborhood — foraged in the yard. I sang out,...

Our home is located next to a park where I often walk with my young daughter in the early spring. When the birds begin their spring migration, the park is filled...

“I have difficult news for you,” said the doctor. “You have cancer.” Shock and fear washed over me. Then came heartbreak and tears. Thus began the endless rounds of scans, medical...

While walking to an evening worship service, I saw the soft, warm light from the sanctuary’s stained glass windows glowing in the night. The windows provided a welcome but limited illumination...

For three years I faced one challenge after another. I was diagnosed with burnout and depression, and I had to give up my profession as a teacher. Since then, I have...

As my wife and I prepared for a visit from our new in-laws, we noticed things around the house that hadn’t bothered us before. The dinner plates seemed old, the hardwood...

After I gave a short orientation speech to the parents of our preschool class, three-year-old Miriam told her mother that she liked “the sermon.” Miriam’s father is the pastor of the...

I often think about Abram/Abraham, and his story inspires faithfulness and obedience in me. I relate to his story because my own life story is similar in several ways. Abram was...