Outward Bound [Jeanette-Marie Mirich]
There are people who stay put. They like their hearth, the change of season from their living room window, and the perfume of the roses wafting through the screen door. Then there are those with itchy feet.
[Alyssa Roat] 3 Ways to Foster Integrity
How far are you willing to go to pursue your goals? Goals are good, especially when we’re called to pursue things. For example, I know that I was called to publishing and writing. Others may know they were called to the mission field, to teaching, to firefighting, to music or art. Goals help us pursue…
[Patricia Lee] If Mary Said No
At Christmas, I’m always drawn to the story of Mary. Imagine being fourteen or fifteen, the age most historians think Mary was, betrothed to a man arranged by your parents, and suddenly an angelic being appears in front of you. Said angel tells you are going to be a mother! What would you do? I’d…
[Sara Davison] Great Expectations
It can be incredibly easy for us as humans to think we know exactly what God’s plans are for our lives. But what do we do when the plans we were so sure were God’s don’t come to fruition? I recently contributed a story to the Christmas anthology, A Star Will Rise. The theme of…
[Dana McNeely] An Intersection of Time and Eternity
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” ~ 1 Kings 17:17-19 (NIV) After…
[Bryan Davis] Fathers of Comfort
Fear of the unknown surrounds the young; strange shapes in the darkness, creepy sounds in the night, slithering creatures under the bed or in the closet. They all work together to make little hands clench the sheets and yank them over their heads until the dawn of the next day. The worries of the world—political…
[Bryan Davis] Are You a Scrub Jay?
I will never forget this hiking experience in one of Florida’s scrub forests. We came upon a family of scrub jays. I had heard that, unlike most birds, they have very little fear of humans. That proved to be an understatement. Although we were out in the wild, they landed on our heads, hands, and…
What One Day Will Be [Sara Davison]
Almost every time we watch the news, I breathe the words, “Come, Lord Jesus,” when the last image fades from the screen. We yearn for the day John described in Revelation 21:3-4 when “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” God alone knows when that day will be. But while we are here, He sends us glimpses of heaven, reminders of what will one day be.