By: Katherine Brey  There aren’t many things in life that are certain. However, trials are a certainty. They are unavoidable and unpredictable. It isn’t a question of IF . . . but of when, where, and how.   Trials come in all shapes and sizes, singular or multiple.   You may have heard the saying, “Waiting for the other shoe to drop,” indicating that someone is anticipating their subsequent trial.    At one point or another, while walking through our adversity, we are bound to ask why. Yet, what we may not ask is whether a trial is necessary.   Some of our trials are self-inflicted through careless living, bad choices, or an opened…

By Dawn R. Ward  Do you remember the day you received your first love letter?   Maybe in the third grade, you blushed upon opening a Valentine’s Day card sent from your secret admirer. Your first recollection of a love letter may be when a seventh-grade wannabe boyfriend hastily scribbled a heartfelt poem on scrap paper before slipping it into your pocket.   Perhaps you first felt love’s affirmation as you read the words “Will You Marry Me?” written on a scroll and trailing behind a plane thousands of feet in the sky.   Maybe your wedding vows, lovingly written by your partner and recited on your special day, are…

By: Sara B. Anderson, M.Div. J.D.  On May 23, 2024, a young missionary couple were leaving church on their orphanage compound in Lizon, Haiti when suddenly two gangs breached the gates.   They bound and beat the young husband before ransacking the premises. Managing to get untied, the man led his wife and another missionary to a nearby house where they barricaded themselves inside. There, the husband called his father who had founded the mission. “Dad, something is going on.”  The couple didn’t make it out that day.   Gang members killed them along with the orphanage director.   Davy and Natalie Lloyd had only been married two years. Despite the…

In a small village, there were two women that got into a terrible dispute they could not resolve so they decided to talk to the wise, old town sage.   The first woman went into the sage’s home and told him her version of what had happened. When she had finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”   The second woman then went into the sage’s home and told him her version of what happened. When she had finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”  Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband, “Those two women told you two completely different stories, and you told them they were both absolutely right. But that…

One of the things on my bucket list is to visit the huge redwood trees in California.   These trees are considered the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world.    Some of them are over 300 feet high and over 2,500 years old.    You would think that with these trees being so large and being in an area prone to storms and earthquakes, they would have a tremendous root system, reaching down hundreds of feet into the earth.    But they don’t.   In fact, most of their roots are found only in the top 3 feet of soil.    How can roots that only go down 3 feet…

When you compare yourself to others you end up feeling pretty awful. But God can help you learn how to stop comparing yourself to others so you can find JOY! But before we dive into this topic a little deeper, can I ask you a quick question? Why did Eve eat the fruit? Listen to this:   “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”   -Genesis 3:4-5 NLT Eve ate the fruit because she thought it would make her like God. She compared herself to…

Think about this for a moment.   What do you want people to say about you when you’re gone? What words would you want them to use to describe you?  How about words like:  Yep, I think most of us would like to be remembered by these kinds of words, right?  Now, how about these words:  Yeah, no thank you. I don’t think anyone of us wants to be described by these words. And yet, unfortunately, for 2 women in the Bible, they are forever known for being disagreeable. For fighting with each other and refusing to cooperate.   Out of all the things they could have been remembered for. This is…

When Jesus knew His time on Earth was about to come to an end, He decided to have dinner with His friends. He washed their feet. Ate yummy food. And then He prayed over them.     As He prayed for them, He knew these were some of the last words He would ever speak to them, which helps us realize their importance. In general, people choose their last words wisely because those words are what they want people to remember.    If Jesus’s last words reveal what was important to Him . . . then they also reveal what should be important to us as followers of Jesus.       So, what were Jesus’s…

Sometimes I struggle with feeling the Christmas Spirit. Sometimes I have a hard time feeling joyful during this time of year. Sometimes I think about all the things I need to do to prepare for the upcoming holidays . . . and it just makes me feel overwhelmed and stressed out.    For a while, I would chastise myself for this.    After all, I’m a Christian.    Christmas is when I celebrate the birth of my Savior and King. I should be happy. I should be in a good mood. I should look forward to it.    But sometimes, if I’m brave enough to admit it, my heart just isn’t into it.    But…

Christmastime can be busy, chaotic, and downright stressful. This is why we need to remember what Christmas is REALLY all about. So, we can find joy, peace, and rest. Even in a season of busyness.    Because when we remember the reason for the season, we realize what a gift Christmas really is.    What is the purpose of Christmas? The purpose of Christmas is to remind us of truths we tend to forget. Because life can get so busy and stressful sometimes that we need the opportunity that Christmas gives us to take a step back and reflect.   To remember what is important.   And to spend time in the Presence…