For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. — Malachi 3:2-3 The embers glowed as the blacksmith stoked the fire. One callused hand held a piece of metal to…
God Loves Broken People: The Story of Gomer
A Prodigal Wife Learns the Meaning of True Love For your Maker is your husband — the Lord Almighty is His name — the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. — Isaiah 54:5 She stands outside in the cool, refreshing rain, allowing it to run…
You’re Invited to Defiant Joy!
Are you ready to get your JOY back? Life will put you to the test. It can be difficult and unexpected, heartbreaking and hope-challenging. But JOY is a fighter. And so are you… I believe it in my bones! And so I’m super excited to announce that for all the ladies out there fighting for…
Joy Is Soon Coming
God’s Promise Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. — Psalm 30:5 NLT Amanda Todd was the Canadian teenager who became an unwitting spokesperson for despair at the age of fifteen after a predator had convinced her to pose topless for a photo. He later blackmailed her with threats…
Madeleine L’Engle and Faith in Literature
Madeleine was no denier of the existence of evil. In fact, one could argue that more than any other writer of children’s fiction, she named evil for what it is — a demonic presence at war with God—and empowered her characters to fight it. As L’Engle scholar Don Hettinga writes, “She recognizes that evil sometimes…
Learning from the Master Teacher (Capernaum)
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when He was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything. — Mark 4:33-34 Although Jesus grew up in the town of Nazareth, the Bible tells us…
In Esther God Crowns Me with Worth and Makes Me Royalty
She was just an orphan girl, raised by her cousin. They were Jews in Persia. Her people had been taken captive more than a century before. An orphaned foreigner was about as far from royalty as you could get. But God raises the lowly and crowns them with honor. His love took an unknown orphan…
Uninvited: The Gifts of Rejection
Anything that infuses us with humility is good. Even if it feels a bit like humiliation in the moment, the workings of humility within are a gift. The tweaking of us by God in the quiet is the saving of us in public. The only difference between humility and humiliation is that one chose to…
Jesus Calling: Don’t Worry
Keep your eyes on Me! Waves of adversity are washing over you, and you feel tempted to give up. As your circumstances consume more and more of your attention, you are losing sight of Me. Yet I am with you always, holding you by your right hand. I am fully aware of your situation, and…
Fiction Friday Featuring Billy Coffey
Editor’s note: The wait is over! It’s Fiction Friday! Today we are introducing Billy Coffey. “Billy Coffey is a minstrel who writes with intense depth of feeling and vibrant rich description.” — Robert Whitlow, best-selling author of The Choice “Coffey spins a wicked tale . . . [The Curse of Crow Hollow] blends folklore, superstition, and…