You Belong Here

by Katy McCown | | 2 comments

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They lined up one by one, no questions asked.

They didn’t come begrudgingly. They came with an eagerness you could see on their faces. They were ready. They were excited. And they were together.

The front lawn of our local elementary school was the stage for the epic tug-of-war championship between two fourth grade classes … while some may call tug-of-war a game, I feel confident the fourth graders holding the rope approached this as anything but a game. 

Mrs. Johnston’s class formed a line down one half of the rope, while the opposing class took their places on the other half. Because I had a daughter in the class, I had heard the stories of disagreements and misunderstandings. I knew

Once and For All

by Gwen Smith | | 33 comments

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All who pause for reflection and allow their hearts to wander in wonder down the Way of Suffering feel the darkness of this day in history. Good Friday was anything but good – yet, because of God’s unsearchable love for you and me, it was the pathway to our hope, to our forgiveness… and to eternal life.

Injustice took center stage that day as Pilate turned Jesus over to a rowdy mob though he had found no fault in him. Roman soldiers rendered Him wounded and weak as they flogged an innocent man – the perfectly innocent Son of man – with 39 excruciating lashes.

A twisted crown of thorns was placed on his head and a purple robe draped

A Loose Screw

by Sharon Jaynes | | 8 comments

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It was the incompetent and the inexperienced being led by the inept, the day our Sunday School Class worked on the habitat for humanity house for an unsuspecting, extremely grateful family. Among the crew were two dentists, an investment banker, a lawyer, an engineer, two pastors, a receptionist, several homemakers, and a marriage counselor. It’s always good to have a marriage counselor on hand when a home improvement project is taking place.

The one-thousand-square feet, vinyl-siding house had already been framed by a team the week before. Today was sheetrock or drywall day. The site supervisor’s name was T.A. 

T.A. was a country carpenter who had hammered more nails for Jesus than Noah and his sons combined, and he got

Welcome Home

by Suzie Eller | | 3 comments

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He sat in his favorite overstuffed chair. Pictures of his children and grandchildren hung on the wall. His wife of nearly 60 years sat not far away.

“It’s time to go home,” he declared. 

My father-in-law had struggled with dementia for a long time. This once strong, funny patriarch couldn’t remember those he had loved. He didn’t know where home was anymore, even as he sat in the house he built and had lived in for decades. Toward the end, this became a regular battle. Finally, his sons came up with a plan. When he announced he wanted to go home, one of them would grab their coat. 

“Let’s go,” they’d say. 

My father-in-law would pile in the passenger seat of his

Following God’s Path to Healing

by Joanna Teigen | | 10 comments

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For years, I’ve struggled with a persistent health issue that lands me on the couch for days or weeks at a time. In the pursuit of healing, I’ve had scopes, scans, and tests. I’ve made trips to the clinic, the lab, and the emergency room. Supplements and medications gave only short-term relief. So tomorrow morning I’ll head to the hospital for outpatient surgery to resolve the problem once and for all.

Surgery is not the path to healing I would have chosen. It comes with pain and another stint on the couch. It will disrupt our family’s routine and force me to depend on others for help. I’ve been tempted to worry and complain even as the chance to be well

Are You Making Room for God?

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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One summer, our family went to Pennsylvania, where we visited Amish country. Amish people have always fascinated me, and I enjoy every minute spent in their beautiful and carefully ordered world.

As our visit ended, I wanted to buy a souvenir to remind me of the peaceful days we had spent there, but everything I picked up was too expensive. But, being a committed shopper, I did not let that stop me. 

We traveled up and down each community’s small, hidden back roads, looking for the Amish products known only to a few and to those relentless shoppers who were willing to persevere. I was beginning to lose hope when I spotted the small, white sign posted on the fence

Therefore Encourage

by Arlene Pellicane | | 4 comments

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When my father-in-law passed away at age 93, we held a celebration of life. Family members and friends shared stories of the many ways dad had impacted their lives. My husband James talked about how his father had taught him a solid work ethic. Dad was an ophthalmologist (eye doctor), and he had a peculiar habit before stepping into his private practice. He would pick up the trash around his building. That made an impression on James–watching his father, the doctor, pick up trash every day.

Dad also instilled a love of learning in his kids. While other boys received presents like video games, James received a dictionary and a bookshelf.

The words of affirmation and appreciation poured out lavishly

We Need What You Have to Offer

by Holley Gerth | | no comments

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Years ago I attended a tea party in the Fellowship Hall of a small town church about an hour from my home. This is where my parents had their wedding reception, my grandparents had their fiftieth-anniversary party, and great-grandparents held hands in the pews.

On this day the tables are covered in white linen and each place setting includes a vintage china cup, the kind that tempts you to stick your pinky out when you drink from it. The hostesses of this gathering are the lovely members of my Grandma’s Sunday School class, most of whom are now in their eighties.

There is one guest who is a distinct exception to this age range. My granddaughter, Eula (named after my

When You Tell Yourself, “I Can’t Help Myself”

by Sharon Jaynes | | 3 comments

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Jennifer stood in front of the mirror staring at the overweight woman looking back at her. Just two years ago she’d lost 120 pounds, and now 80 of them were back. I can’t keep this weight off, she thought. I know what I’m supposed to do, but I just can’t do it. I’m always going to be fat. I’m just going to accept it and quit trying. What’s so bad about being fat anyway? I just can’t help myself.

Rachel loved Travis; she did. Though they were both Christians, they found themselves staring at the ceiling in her bedroom after a night of passion that led to a morning of regret. We’ve tried to remain pure, she mused, but we love each other

The World as Worship

by Kathi Lipp | | 9 comments

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In the year of COVID-19, like so much of the world, our church shut down.

I understood why it had to happen—we were in a pandemic, after all—but I missed it. The preaching and teaching, fellowship, communion, but most of all, I missed the worship. I missed standing shoulder to shoulder with others and lifting my hands and my heart in praise. I missed that intimacy with God, even among hundreds of other people.

As with every other situation in 2020, it was a time to get creative. Like other believers, we worshiped from our living rooms, sitting on the couch, our dog and cat cuddled into our makeshift pew.

It was good. But it wasn’t the same. And I, not