The emperor of China had a problem. Something was destroying his mulberry trees. So he did what any brilliant man does when faced with a problem he can’t handle: he turned it over to his wife! When Empress Ce Ling Shee looked at the trees, she noticed a moth laying eggs on the mulberry…
No More Humbug
One holiday season, A Christmas Carol was the only Christmas play offered in our town, so Barry and I took our then eight-year-old son to a matinee performance. I tried to prepare Christian for the appearance of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future so he wouldn’t be afraid. “I’m not afraid of any…
Healing for the Deepest Wounds
She just needed a little money to finish college. The price was steep, but she reasoned to herself that she wouldn’t pay it for long. She was only ten units away from earning her degree. But the price is always steeper than expected when the Enemy is offering the solution to our problems. Before she knew…
Noise Pollution {5 Minutes with Jesus}
Noise Pollution Stop for a moment and just listen. What do you hear? Maybe the neighbor’s lawnmower… the barking dog a few houses down… a clock ticking… the cars on the street. Now stop for a moment and just listen to the noise inside. What is keeping your heart from being quiet and at peace?…
Start Your Day with the Lord
A Good Way to Start a Day I don’t trust hotel wake-up calls. Whether you will actually receive one when you ask seems to depend on the state of mind of the person entering your request. If he’s just broken up with his girlfriend, for example, and her name happens to be Sheila, I’m either getting…
A Bottle of Your Tears
When I opened the gift from my friend, I wasn’t quite sure what it was. The small glass bottle was a beautiful cobalt blue, about two inches tall, covered in sliver filigree. I thought it might be a perfume bottle, albeit a very small one, but her note explained that it was actually a tear…
Being Honest with God
“I am angry!” she said to me. It was a strange way to start a conversation, but her emotions seemed to overwhelm her. I had just finished teaching, and I was signing a book for someone when this woman stepped between us. Asking her to wait just a second, I finished signing the book and…
HE IS RISEN: Alive and Victorious!
HE IS RISEN: Alive and Victorious! “Which person, alive or dead, would you choose to talk with over coffee, and why?” The question came from a group of ladies whose church conference I would be speaking at in a few months. They thought it would be fun to include some trivia in the program. The…
Speaking Sweetly in the Sorrow
She has been one of my dearest friends for over twenty-five years. Marlene was one of my bridesmaids. When her dress arrived two sizes too small, she wrapped herself in plastic wrap and cut calories for five days! That’s a true friend! She really is one of a kind. She used to be a hippie…
A Day Off ~ 5 Minutes with Jesus
A Day Off Do you ever feel that if you are asked to do one more thing you will physically combust? I’ve definitely had those moments. I recently read an article about the exhausted American workforce. It mentioned a young working mother who was stretched so thin that she always entered the cook time on…