In New York, high school students are expected to take Regents exams. These are statewide standardized tests in core high school subjects. For me, studying for them was a big deal. As a college bound student, I wanted to achieve the best possible grades. In addition to spending hours memorizing and reviewing information, I adapted special scriptures I called my “Regents verses”: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Pausing to pray before taking an exam, I would…
My family comes from a long line of worry warts. Not the mild concern type worry, but the all-consuming hand-wrenching worry that puts knots in your stomach and keeps you up at night. My dad was a master worrier. It intensified as he got older and moved to a nursing home. He worried about me driving at night, about his grandkids making good choices, about the weather tomorrow. He would often say with a smile “I have a lot of time on my hands. I need something to worry about!” He wasn’t alone. Many people’s lives are consumed with worry….
Last week I enjoyed an afternoon bike ride with my husband on a scenic rail trail in Pennsylvania. It was one of those October days in which the sun felt warm and the shade cool. Trees hinting yellow leaves lined both sides of the seemingly endless path, while the only sound was leaves crunching beneath bike tires. Robert Frost’s well-known poem “The Road Not Taken” came to mind—“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood . . . .” The poet expresses coming to a juncture and pondering which path to take—knowing all too well that as he starts down one…
In a recent interview on Christian radio, world-renowned vocal artist Wintley Phipps talked about his rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most celebrated gospel singers of our time. Phipps is a two-time Grammy award nominee, has sung in Billy Graham crusades, and performed for six American presidents. His rendition of Amazing Grace has upward of 7 million views on YouTube. His secret to success may surprise you. “To be successful in anything, we must begin by preparing our hearts with stillness and prayer,” Phipps said. He says the key to all the successes God has allowed him…
Perhaps you’re familiar with the words to the hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness[1]: Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee, Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not, As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be. God doesn’t change. His compassions don’t fail. What He said was, was . . . What He says is, is . . . What He says will be, will be . . . Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun,…
