At the college I attended, in addition to completing required courses in your major—mine being English—students also submitted a portfolio of their best work, which after the approval of an academic Board of professors qualified them for graduation. Tucked inside my portfolio, I still have an orange 3 x 5 card on which one of my professors wrote: A beautiful body of work—I’m proud of you and feel lucky to be one of your readers. . . . I hope you continue writing and try to start publishing. You have talent, and heart, and wonderful wit; and equally important, you…
Peace Through Pruning
Autumn finds many of us removing dead plants from gardens and preparing homes and yards in anticipation of the coming winter months. Some plants require pruning—the process of removing dead branches and stubs—which promotes beneficial rest for the plant while allowing room for new growth next season. Pruning also deters pest infestation while supporting a plant’s natural shape and healthy growth. Recently I was reminded of the importance of personal “pruning”. On an episode of a weekly podcast I enjoy, one of the co-hosts shared his experience of a complete mental breakdown. It triggered the realization that he had taken…
Jesus the Unifier
When Jesus is central in our hearts; when He is our First Love; when He is leading us and we are following Him—then, and only then—we have unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When I am so in love with Jesus Christ, as a bride loves her husband, I enjoy sweet fellowship with others in the Body of Christ who are similarly love-struck. We may have differences in our understanding of Scripture, but when we look to Jesus, the Living Truth, we experience harmony with one another. We may have different ways of worshipping, but it is the…
Jesus the Multiplier
With more national shooting tragedies making recent headlines, and discussions of gun control taking center stage yet again, we realize afresh the brokenness of the world around us. If we take the time to look deeply into our own hearts and lives, we recognize that in different ways we are all broken people, desperately in need of rescue and wholeness. As Christians, we have a message of hope to share—Jesus Christ has come to redeem us from this dark and broken world! He is very much alive today, working to heal our lives, while we look ahead with anticipation to…
His Love Endures
Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. This beautiful expression of God’s love from the hymn “The Love of God” speaks of the measureless immensity of His love toward us. It’s a love that has no fear in it. A love that never fails. A love that endures forever. God assures us…
