A fruitful reflection
My ten-year-old granddaughter and I had a lot of fun the other day, talking about fruit. We had just read the verses in Revelation 22 about the tree of life that bears 12... »
G. L. Ellens
Giving Him all the pieces
I thought I had my life together. I had a loving husband, four wonderful children, and a fulfilling life as an aid worker. We had moved to Indonesia to work with a shelte... »
The light of Christmas
I was gathered with friends in a living room full of Christmas decorations. There were refreshments on the coffee table, and we were singing Christmas carols together. Wh... »
Eddy and the earring
Sometimes the greatest heroes are actually the unsung little ones who live their lives with quiet courage. By their example, they leave an indelible mark. Eddy is one of... »
Break open in emergency
Recently two friends got in touch to let me know about some pretty major events that were happening in their lives. First, Ina called to share that her daughter had teste... »
Surviving a difficult situation
Those first few minutes while the news sank in were devastating. I felt like my whole world was caving in. Somehow I managed to stumble shakily out of my boss’ office. Hi... »
The jasmine bush
My brother’s death hit me hard, perhaps because it was so unexpected. John died of a heart attack at only 51. Until then, he had seemed strong, healthy, and in the prime... »
Finding your way
Unexpected changes have never been easy for me, and last year was such a time. I was expecting to be able to move closer to my son and his family, but found out that the... »
The best Christmas
The year we had very little money to spend on Christmas turned out to be our best ever! After a recent move to a new country, we’d had to leave behind all of our Christma... »
Life’s balancing act
“My business is doing well,” a friend recently told me, “but I’m having more trouble with allergies than ever. It seems like when I stress out, they get worse, and I’m wo... »
Effective quiet time in five steps
I’m semi-retired but still enjoy an active and full life. Looking back over the past year, I can see the benefits I’ve gained from spending quiet time with God in the mor... »
Mr. Rabbit and me
It all started when we gave in to the children’s pleas and bought a cute little rabbit. At first, the little fellow was too small to be left alone in the garden while the... »
Time management tips
When my boss agreed to let me start working from home, I was excited about the prospect and confident that I could do an even better job than working at the office, but h... »