My husband, Gary, and I returned from a trip to hear strange scratching noises inside our woodstove. Gary cracked the stove door just enough to spot a big squirrel amidst the...

One day I learned a valuable lesson from a landscaper and his four-year-old son. The father unloaded bales of pine straw, broke them up, and spread large handfuls around bushes and...

Due to struggles with my mental health, I had told my husband I did not want children, much to his disappointment. But as I neared the completion of my second degree,...

Early on summer mornings, as I pray and read my devotional for the day, a hummingbird makes trips to the feeder hanging outside my window. I keep the feeder filled with...

Why should I continue to pray? Why should I continue to read Bible verses that I have read hundreds of times? Our messy world and the challenges people face in their...

January 14, 2016, was the day of the International Kite Festival. As superintendent of a hostel, I wanted to provide a good meal of undhiyu (a traditional Gujarati curry) to the...

My friend Julia and I boarded the subway train in Mexico City, chatting about our day. We were on our way back to our apartment. The crowded train was racing along...

I grew up on a farm, where responsibility and hard work were high priorities. These values were so highly prized that I still struggle with taking time and resources to spend...

At the end of each school year, my mom would put all the broken crayons from the classroom in a container for me to use at home. I never liked broken...

My wife was away leading a retreat, and I was at home alone. I decided to cook myself a fairly simple meal with what we had on hand: chicken, rice, some...