Personal Accounts
A very good place to start
The first time I ever held a Bible was as a little girl sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. I opened the first pages and read until the story of Cain and Ab... »
The road to faith
I was born in 1955 into a family of blue-collar workers. At the time, Germany was in reconstruction mode after the devastation of WW2. “Work hard and grit your teeth” see... »
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... »
Martha gets a makeover
Have you ever felt unfairly characterized by others? Perhaps you’ve been in a situation where someone interacts with you on the basis of what they think they “know” about... »
Made whole!
When I was very new in the faith life, I spent some time in Nova Friburgo, in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, along with two other missionaries. It’s a beautiful city wi... »
The Bible and you
A few years ago, it came to me that I had a superficial relationship with the Bible. I was a bit taken aback, since I had spent my entire life as a follower of the Bible.... »
My multi-tool
Recently I've been trying to read my Bible more. I've read through it cover to cover before, but something inspired me to read it again as part of a daily reading plan. I... »
Don’t wait
I wish you could meet my friend Vanessa! She’s the perfect example of the gospel bound in tennis shoes. When she began attending our Bible study, she was a single mom to... »
Jesus’ type of joy
On a very cold and gloomy morning, I woke up to find that I had overslept. With an angry groan, I rolled out of bed and began to groggily get dressed. Then I remembered!... »
Willie and the five-minute favor
We were just finishing up the distribution of 50 ten-kilo care packages to poor people—most of them widowed or disabled—in a hall at the edge of one of the largest slums... »
The cheerful giver
It was a typical morning in our home. We were all rushing to get ready for the day—kids getting ready for school, breakfast to be made, spaces to be tidied, and me trying... »
Make me a cake
Our story takes place in Israel, around 850 BC.[[A retelling of 1 Kings 17]] It was a sad and difficult time for a nation that was suffering under the worst king it had e... »