Women of the Bible: Anna the Prophetess

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, (more…)

Widows in ancient Israel faced lives of hardship and dependence. Without husbands, they became vulnerable to poverty, isolation and oppression. Their options were slim: Remarry or depend upon other family members and gifts from temple tithes.

Their precarious situation made them morally vulnerable as well, prone to yielding to passions that would lead them astray spiritually.

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, (more…)

Why Bother?

We broken humans often get ourselves into a fix-it mentality. When our personal or professional lives are a mess, we try to find a quick fix that we can apply so we can move on. When those fixes fail, we come to find out that the problem is—gasp!—us, and there’s no quick fix for that. 

So then we focus on fixing those (more…)

Stretched But Not Broken

When my boys were little, one of them had a toy called Stretch Armstrong. And yes, Stretch stretched, across the room, down the hallway, from the top bunk to the bottom—until my son broke him. We put a colorful bandage on Stretch’s leg, and stretched Stretch less after that.

We all eventually find our breaking point when we’re overextended. Lately I’ve wondered (more…)

Nothing But the Truth

Truth is a timeless universal buzzword. I’ve found people are much more open to discussing the concept of truth than the concept of redemption. Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” That same question can be a springboard from which to share the gospel.

Truth is, few people take the time to consider the origin of truth. So let’s follow the logical progression (more…)