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 Great Deception

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!—James 2:19 (ESV)

According to a September study published by Pew Research Center, the number of Americans identifying as Christians has fallen from about 90 percent in the 1990s to 63 percent, particularly as young adults continually reject the faith of their parents. What surprises me, however, is not (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…)

Your Ambassador Status

We are, therefore, Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.—2 Corinthians 5:20

If you have placed your faith in Christ, you are more than His child: You’re His ambassador. But did you ever stop to think about what it means to be an ambassador? The role comes with (more…)

Prayer: Our Greatest and Least Valued Weapon

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.—James 5:17

So many times I have found myself and my Christian friends saying, “All we can do is pray” when we feel powerless—when a loved one is dying, when a (more…)