Jesus and Jim
The story is told of a certain minister who was disturbed to see a shabbily dressed old man go into his church at noon every day and come out again after a few minutes. W... »
Personal Accounts
No barriers
I often have friends ask me to pray for them in matters pertaining to their personal lives. One friend even stops me in the street whenever he sees me and asks me to pray... »
It’s not odd, it’s God!
My friend Michael has a favorite saying for when God does something inexplicable in answer to prayer: It’s not odd, it’s God. For some months, Michael and a few others of... »
Let the water do the work
When I was young, my mom would ask me to help with the household chores. Sometimes I was reluctant, my focus still on my unfinished tower of blocks. But I would try to pu... »
The tangled bird
My wife and I were walking in a grassy field in Australia. We passed a fence that enclosed some horses calmly grazing, when suddenly we heard a pitiful racket. A small sp... »
Seize the Moment
A desire to do good, to make a difference, and to find purpose in life seems to be an inbuilt compass for most of us. However, it’s easy to minimize the little acts of ki... »
Successful relationships
A stray dog moved into the Smiths’ neighborhood the same day the Joneses moved in next door, and the dog immediately began to wreak havoc, scrounging in trash cans and te... »
A different kind of love
When I was a child, “love” was one of my favorite words. I remember ending any letter that I wrote with the words “I love you so so so much!” I felt love from my family,... »
Give love by receiving love
The Bible says we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. But what about letting our neighbor love us as he loves himself? This is difficult for many of us. We con... »
An unexpected text
Sometimes we find ourselves in a place where we can be a blessing to others, serve those in need, and share the gospel. Perhaps you are part of a mission that benefits yo... »
She didn’t have to
Every year, I get a letter from a woman who I knew for about six months over a decade ago. When we met, I felt like my life was on fire. I had four young kids, we had jus... »
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... »
Being an instrument of God’s goodness
Years ago, my husband and I were missionaries in Foz do Iguaçu, a city in the south of Brazil. We did puppet shows with our children in schools and institutions to raise... »