My father and mother separated when I was eight years old. My mom raised me and my brother, but we had very few childhood memories of our dad. The steady father...

I am a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, and I lead an annual mission trip that immerses participants in Native American culture while serving Native churches in Oklahoma. At...

Skyscrapers cast cold shadows through my drive downtown to work on Good Friday. An occasional intersection crossing, however, allowed a brief blast of sunlight. My mind drifted as I drove. Darkness...

When I was young — no older than about five — I lived in a small community in East Texas. My dad taught me how to swim at the community pool....

One year when Earth Day fell on a Sunday, my husband and I attended a sermon at the local zoo. As we sat outdoors listening to the pastor preach about the...

Years ago I was invited to a nearby church as a guest preacher for Sunday worship. After my sermon, the deacon who was leading the service invited me to kneel at...

The weeks leading up to the anniversary of my mother’s death are filled with memories. My mother’s laughter, the way her eyes sparkled with kindness, the sound of her voice, and...

It’s not every day that you find a gift of fresh fish right outside your house. But there they were. I had been fretting about not having enough money, but through...

I come from a long line of craftspeople. My mom was an extraordinary seamstress, and my grandmother made beautiful needlework designs. One day Mom decided it was time for me to...

Recently, I read Matthew 22 where Jesus quoted Exodus to the Sadducees who were questioning him. In Exodus, many people gain new names. For example, Abram becomes Abraham and Jacob becomes...