It’s never too late to begin again
At seventy-five years old, I smile at the unexpected turns my life has taken. When I entered the mission field five decades ago, I imagined a lifetime of raising a family... »
G. L. Ellens
Growing in our walk with God
Over the last couple of months, I’ve really tried to put God first every morning. And it has made all the difference in the world. Taking time with God first thing in the... »
The hope of heaven in times of pain
When I received the email saying my brother John had died suddenly of a heart attack, I was shocked and devastated. John was just 50—too young to leave this earth, I thou... »
The cornerstone of faith
Nurturing a deep personal relationship with Jesus is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. We can cultivate habits that keep us connected to Jesus, allowing His presenc... »
The healing power of love
I met Martha, a retired nurse, during a particularly challenging time in her life. Martha had reached a point where she was considering suicide. I talked with her about G... »
Humility—a key skill
Forbes magazine printed an article about the importance of humility for success in today’s world. In a society that values self-promotion and individualism, humility is o... »
Redirected!
Sometimes, through no fault of our own, our lives take a different turn than what we had expected. Our first reaction may be to groan, “Why me? Why now?” Often our first... »
Fruits of suffering
We can all agree there’s no place in this world untouched by hardship and suffering. We want to believe that God is good and loving, that He sees everything and that He h... »
An unexpected opportunity
One late Saturday afternoon, I decided to go shopping at a nearby mall. As part of my daily walking routine, I wanted to see if I could make it there on foot. However, I... »
An unusual start to the New Year
I started off the new year losing my suitcase while traveling. It wasn’t the greatest start, but in fact, I learned so much through the experience. I was on a return flig... »
The last stocking
Every year at Christmas, my friend Ira and I get together to assemble Christmas stockings for the orphans at two nearby orphanages. It gives us a lot of happiness to do t... »
From darkness to light
Nonon couldn’t keep back the tears as she told me about her sister’s death. Her bicycle had hit a hole in the road, and Rani had flown off and landed on her head. She was... »
My Ebenezer stone
“What’s that?” my friend asked, pointing to a small brown stone on my coffee table. I had to smile, thinking how odd that plain little rock must look to her. Usually, peo... »