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A Second Look at the Christmas Story Blew My Mind
A couple of days ago, I went to the park in a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. It was 80 degrees Fahrenheit (about 27 degrees Celsius) outside and felt absolutely nothing like Christmas. In most parts of the United States, it’s cold—maybe even snowing.
Time Alone With God
It was a busy morning in the church room where I was helping. Nearly a dozen little children were chattering and playing. There was so much activity that the room became warm and I propped the door open. One little boy saw this as his chance to escape so when he thought no one was looking, he tiptoed out the door. Hot on his trail, I wasn’t surprised that he was headed straight for his daddy’s arms.
The little boy did what we need to do when life becomes busy and overwhelming—he slipped away to be with his father. Jesus looked…
Signet Ring
When I first made the acquaintance of a new friend from abroad, I noticed his posh English accent and that he wore a ring on his little finger. Later I learned that this wasn’t just jewelry; it revealed his family’s history through the family crest engraved on it.
It was a bit like a signet ring—perhaps like the one in Haggai. In this short Old Testament book, the prophet Haggai calls for the people of God to restart the rebuilding of the temple. They had been exiled and had now returned to their homeland and begun rebuilding, but enemy opposition to…
Locked Into Love
In June 2015, the city of Paris removed forty-five tons of padlocks from the railings of the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge. As a romantic gesture, couples would etch their initials onto a lock, attach it to the railing, click it shut, and throw the key into the River Seine.
After this ritual was repeated thousands of times, the bridge could no longer bear the weight of so much “love.” Eventually the city, fearing for the integrity of the bridge, removed the “love locks.”
The locks were meant to symbolize everlasting love, but human love does not always last. The closest…
On Time
Sometimes I joke that I’m going to write a book titled On Time. Those who know me smile because they know I am often late. I rationalize that my lateness is due to optimism, not to lack of trying. I optimistically cling to the faulty belief that “this time” I will be able to get more done in less time than ever before. But I can’t, and I don’t, so I end up having to apologize yet again for my failure to show up on time.
In contrast, God is always on time. We may think He’s late, but He’s not. Throughout Scripture…
God’s heart revealed in the life and death of His son
Can you remember your favorite teacher or your favorite way of being taught? Maybe you’re a visual learner requiring word pictures to help you grasp a concept. Today on Discover the Word, we will talk about Jesus, the Master Teacher who Himself was a Word Picture. It’s an inspiring discussion that reveals the heart of […]
God’s grace is fully expressed in the person of Jesus
For thousands of years, the Jewish people revered “the Law.” It wasn’t just a set of rules and regulations, but God speaking to His people the story of His love and protection. And today on Discover the Word, we discuss how God’s grace was evident in the Old Testament, but fully expressed in the Person of Jesus […]
It’s 2016 Hottest Christmas Gift: A Toy Egg
Six months ago, I would have scoffed at the idea that the most wanted toy for the Christmas season was a toy egg.
Gift of Grace
We can easily get consumed by the activities and extravagance of Christmas. We can also be burdened by the sadness of our situation and emotions. No matter the circumstances, you can lean into Jesus—the best gift we could ever receive—and He will calm your spirit.
God Himself becomes the face of grace in human form
Abstract concepts can be hard to grasp until someone makes it real to us. Like the story of Abraham Lincoln walking miles to return a few pennies to a customer he had shortchanged. It’s a memorable story that embodies the concept of honesty! Today on Discover the Word, we will bring the abstract concept of […]
A Personal Story
A baby just hours old was left in a manger in a Christmas nativity outside a New York church. A young, desperate mother had wrapped him warmly and placed him where he would be discovered. If we are tempted to judge her, we can instead be thankful this baby will now have a chance in life.
This gets personal for me. As an adopted child myself, I have no idea about the circumstances surrounding my birth. But I have never felt abandoned. Of this much I am certain: I have two moms who wanted me to have a chance in life.…
Discover the correlation between Genesis 1 and John 1
Perspective matters, because sometimes it takes multiple viewpoints to make sense of the whole. Today on Discover the Word, we will show the correlation between Genesis chapter one, and John chapter one. At first, God sounds like a “far off” God, until He unexpectedly bursts forth on the scene in the body of a human. […]
An unusual slant to the Christmas story
We all have our favorite Christmas memories, and often it’s a shared story, told from different angles. It’s the same with the various accounts of Jesus’ birth. Each gospel writer tells the same story—but from a different vantage point. Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss an unusual slant to the Christmas narrative. It’s found in the […]
God’s Perfect Plan in My Imperfect Birth Story
I never imagined that I would have to undergo a cesarean section when I was pregnant with my first child. At the time, I was young and healthy.
