Not every church member should attempt an outreach Bible study. A wise pastor will not try to get "the whole church" into this approach to evangelism. Some Christians tend to tell others too much too soon. The discussion approach requires patience and a willingness to let the non-Christian build a framework of Bible knowledge and discover Christ's claims for ...

Whew! I'm tired.

All day today I helped with the renovation process at an elementary school not far from our house. My husband has been there all week, and today I left my desk and my computer and joined him in the labor.

And I'm tired.

Now, I'm not new to the construction world. My parents own several rental properties, and when I was a kid, I often spent ...

Two nights ago, I set my kitchen timer for five minutes, sat in a lawn chair on my deck, and stared at the stars.

This was my feeble attempt at self-care, something I'm trying to incorporate into my life. Nearly two weeks ago, someone challenged me to engage in some intentional self-care, in a way that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I'm surprised at how ...

You may be in a period of deep questioning right now. A new year is beginning. Perhaps your children are going to be starting school soon. The summer wasn't near what it could have been, that dream of family closeness never achieved. Perhaps you will be changing jobs or ministry positions. Yet, what should be a time of adventure - of new possibilities - feels oddly ...

Several years ago, I had a conversation with a woman whose grown children lived all over the country - or even the globe, I think. When I asked her if that was hard for her to be so far away, she said, "Not really. I guess I don't really like being needed."

At the time - as a new mom with one baby boy - this kind of appalled me. I mean, what kind of mom ...

We all know that speaking too quickly isn't the best idea. "Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him," says Proverbs 29:20. A quick reply is usually a thoughtless one, and often the words we speak are later regretted.

But what about taking a lot of time before replying?

There is such a thing as ?rehearsal' ...

After the divorce, I moved in with my parents for financial reasons. Their yard was dotted with tall trees where birds performed tiny morning symphonies outside my window. Every evening I watched the sinking sun light up their lawn with a golden glow. Somehow, admiring the strength of their huge oak tree gave me incredible comfort. Life did go on - leaves fell, birds sang, ...

I walked up to the red door with trepidation. Please God, don't let anyone recognize me today.

We had just moved, and I needed desperately to meet God on his turf. I needed a church. At the same time, I dreaded the people in a church. Dreaded the moment someone would ask what my name was and what I did. Even worse, I dreaded the people who would approach and tell ...

Several years ago, the company I worked for was undergoing massive changes. Until then, I'd been on a wonderful team of encouraging leaders and friends. We were building our side of the business and seeing great success. We were thrilled to be a part of it. Then, before we knew what hit us, people were being downsized and company holdings were sold.

In an attempt ...