The key puzzle piece
I have a weird 3D puzzle. It has seven hexagon blocks with six colors on each one, all in a different order. You put one block in the middle, and then try to match up the... »
Personal Accounts
Forgetting the past
As we stand before the portal of a new year, we don’t know what it’s going to bring, and I’m glad for that. I’m glad we can’t pull aside the curtain of time and see what... »
Running our race
The Bible tells us that we are to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2). Like ath... »
Seeing God in the future
I’ve come to realize that, whenever I find myself overwhelmed by worry, what I’m really doing is imagining a future without God in it. I’m facing the future alone, forget... »
The flowers will come
Seven years ago, the land our home is built on was a flat, rocky field of weeds. I wanted a backyard with a big tree that spread out in the center of the yard, so we plan... »
The wonder of a New Year
At the end of last year, a friend asked me to care for her five-year-old daughter. On New Year’s Eve, two of my sons and their wives invited me and the little girl to acc... »
Learning from a little child
I greatly enjoy buying new educational toys for my littlest granddaughter. I give her something almost every time I see her, and I have concluded that everything is a gif... »
The greatest gift of all
Sometimes we take the gifts we’ve been surrounded with all our lives for granted, because we’ve grown so accustomed to them. When we think of the perfect balance of the u... »
Our family traditions
Christmas for our family is always a big mix and match as far as the things we do, foods we prepare, and ways we celebrate. Every year looks different, and I love that ab... »
Gift giving
I’d say the trickiest part of Christmas is deciding whether to include gift giving. It can be a burden on your time, energy, finances, and Christmas spirit, or it can be... »
The Christmas of small things
December 2020 was my first Christmas without my husband. He had passed away five months before, quite quickly. He still had many projects he wanted to accomplish. One of... »
Our savior relates to us
There are four books of the Bible that are dedicated to the story of Jesus’ life; they record His teachings, miracles, actions, etc. Mark and John’s accounts begin when J... »
Christ came that night!
It was winter in Romania. A few of us had prepared gifts and bags filled with chicken, basic food items, snacks, and fruit. We parked our car on a dark street surrounded... »