In the Gospel of Luke, Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, begged Jesus to come heal his very sick daughter. (See Luke 8:40-56.) Jairus demonstrated great faith, believing that Jesus could...

My mother has a small garden in our backyard where she grows several kinds of flowering plants. One particular plant with purple flowers stands out from the rest. Every morning, the...

When my husband was a child, his elderly neighbor owned a Model A Ford. Every so often, Mr. Reeves would take his car for a test drive. One part of his...

For several years it has been my responsibility and joy to prepare my church’s altar for the Sunday morning worship service. Rather than use traditional floral arrangements, I draw inspiration from...

As a young girl, I found the Christmas season to be tremendously exciting. It was a season for singing and celebrating. And almost everyone in the village would buy new clothes....

As worship leader in my church, I always planned the Christmas worship services with great care and excitement. One year I asked a soprano named Rebecca to sing “O Holy Night”...

I oversee a church program that teaches people the art of solar cooking. On one memorable mission trip, we were scheduled to leave early in the morning because the mission site...

While on vacation with our four children, we were eating at a family restaurant. Our six-year-old, Jon, noticed the candy bars below the counter by the cash register. He had put...

When I became a pastor at 22, I lived in fear of having to perform the sacred duty of saying final words at a graveside service. I didn’t know what I...

When I think about the struggle for women’s rights around the world, I am reminded of the women who came before me. They overcame many challenges, and their work allows me...