Christian Encouragement

Some call the Book of James the “how-to” book on Christian living. His focus is on how to live out an authentic faith. He tells us reading and studying God’s Word alone is not enough and gives us a very straightforward command: “be doers of the Word.” How can we live out James’ directive? What is […]

Caring for others encompasses many roles. It may come from someone who has been trained in caregiving, or someone stepping in to care for others in need. Regardless of our training or experience, caregiving can be a fulfilling and joyful experience, but also exhausting, lonely, and challenging. There is One who wants to give us

I just celebrated my favorite day of winter- the winter solstice. Each day now has extra daylight for us to enjoy. ‘Tis also the season of Christmas lights which bring so much joy, warmth, and comfort to these dark days. Life as we know it would not exist without light- physically or spiritually. Jesus not

I attended my first writers’ conference over 5 years ago. One thing that stood out to me was their desperate plea to start and/or keep writing for Christ. Loneliness was an epidemic, and they needed us to join the fight by sharing the love and hope only Jesus can bring. God’s guidance about loneliness in

When life is going well, it’s easy to shout out, “Praise be to God!” But Scripture teaches us that praising God is more than just a response to blessings. We praise Him because of who He is- faithful, loving, holy, and worthy of our praise in every season. As we look at what the Bible

You’ve most likely heard of “self-care”, but have you heard of “soul care?” Both involve refreshment and rest, but soul care has the advantage of bringing Jesus into the equation, which brings lasting results! Let’s discover how to practice care of the soul.

The Bible is rich with descriptions of the prayer life of Jesus, but one of my new favorites is in Matthew 26:36-42. Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and asks His Father, “If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” v 39. Jesus knew all things are possible with God,

 My 7-year-old granddaughter loves to read the Bible. While reading Bible stories together recently, she suddenly remembered a story she wanted to talk about. She jumped up excitedly and drew it out on a whiteboard. (I had never even heard the story and had to slink off to check it out.) Her enthusiasm amazed me!

One of the last teachings Jesus shared with the disciples was the Great Commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19. He wasn’t asking them to go. He did not offer it as a choice. The disciples had studied and lived with Him for 3 years. They witnessed His death and resurrection