Women of the Bible: The Woman of Thebez

And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of (more…)

Many of us remember the story of Gideon, the unlikely biblical hero whom God used to defeat the menacing Midianites. Gideon went on to judge the Israelites for 40 years.

But Gideon’s death ushered in an ugly chapter for the people of Israel.

And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of (more…)

Speaking Truth to Power

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from afar.—Psalm 139:1-2 (ESV)

Our society has clung to the idea of speaking truth to power in an effort to effect change. The term often is used in the face of perceived oppression or powerlessness. What if the powers to (more…)

What I’m Giving Up for Lent

My husband typically thinks of himself as an Eeyore to my Tigger. He likes to expect the worst so he can be pleasantly surprised if something good happens, while I sometimes nauseate even myself with what one loved one calls my “joyful positivity.”

But lately he’s pointed out my attitude has taken a downturn. “When did you become so negative?” he has (more…)

The Rain Fell and the Floods Came

And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.—Matthew 7:25 NASB

Summertime means rainy season in Central Florida, where the skies will fall about the same time every afternoon, only to give way to the unrelenting heat of the sun. (more…)

The Name Above All Names

Recently members of our church distributed school supplies at a back-to-school event in an underprivileged community. To our church’s credit, we had more volunteers than we needed to man the tables, so I decided to be on the lookout for families as they arrived or for people carrying empty backpacks. Then I would lead families to the tables where they would (more…)