There’s No Excuse for Unkind Words

When I’m exhausted or in pain, my tolerance for anything disruptive tends to be very low. I find myself apologizing to my husband for being grouchy and snippy. I hide in my bedroom to get away from my family. I just want to avoid all interaction until I feel myself again.   As my mother…

No Secret Sins

Part of what I love about teaching children’s church is the fresh insight I gain as I study the Bible story for the week. As I write, I’ve just taught the story of Achan’s hidden sin in Joshua 7. The Israelites had recently routed the walled city of Jericho. As a whole, they must have…

Parenting According to Job

About fifteen years ago, when my two oldest children were toddlers, a violent windstorm swept through our neighborhood while my husband was at work. I recall looking through our large picture window as it rattled in its frame, seeing nothing but an opaque mass of swirling gray mixed with hailstones and bits of debris. I…

Modern-Day Psalms

In my continuing quest to read through the Bible chronologically, I’ve been happily absorbing the book of Psalms for the past couple of weeks. David often called the Lord his shepherd, rock, fortress, shield, defender, high tower, and the like. As David was a shepherd, warrior, and king himself, those metaphors make perfect sense. They…

Old Testament God vs. New Testament Jesus?

I’ve been reading the Bible through chronologically since last summer or thereabouts.  The winter months found me forging through the major and minor prophets. The minor prophets in particular seem a bit dark to me, filled as they are with prophetic warnings from God to his people about what doom would befall them, should they…

A Man of Two Minds

Reuben is perhaps best known as the oldest brother of Joseph, and the only one who tried to dissuade his other brothers from killing their father's favorite. If you recall, Jacob didn't hide his favoritism, gifting Joseph with a coat of many colors. Perhaps this lavish love made Joseph confident enough to relate the dreams…

Lives that Inspire: Bold, Steadfast Caleb

In Numbers 13, the Israelites have escaped the land of Egypt and are set to conquer the land of promise, Canaan.But when Moses selects a spy from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to do some reconnaissance in Canaan, the reports aren't encouraging. Ten spies point out that the cities are well defended and…

Lives That Inspire: Naaman’s Little Maid

II Kings 5 tells the story of Naaman, the captain of the host of Syria, a man with a charmed life in every way until tragedy struck. "...but he was a leper." - II Kings 5:1 It's interesting to note that Syria's victory over Israel through Naaman's leadership was of God, according to the same…