What the Light Revealed

“You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (2 Sam. 22:29)

At this time last year, we were still in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown. Originally scheduled for three weeks and then extended to six, we believed we would get the virus under control and be back to our normal lives by Easter 2020.

Well, we all know how that turned out. Continue reading “What the Light Revealed”

The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Mt. 22:37)

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first proclamation to make February American Heart Month. With the ongoing, global COVID pandemic, paying attention to our heart health carries even more importance since the virus impacts the heart.

One of my first jobs out of college was working for an Area Agency on Aging. I monitored the nutrition program, among other things, and I learned about the importance nutrition has on our heart health. Even before that job, I was interested in taking care of my heart because of the health problems run in my family. All four of my biological grandparents had heart problems, and three of my mom’s five brothers have now passed away from heart attacks. Continue reading “The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are”

Where Is Our Hope?

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Pet 5:10).

We entered 2021 with such hope for the future: hope for the pandemic to end, hope for a peaceful resolution to the election chaos of the last few months.

Although we’ve turned the calendar, our problems remain. With COVID-19 continuing to ravage our nation and the chaos in the US Capitol this week, it’s easy to focus on the turmoil around us. But one thing we should remember, no matter what’s going on around us, is that our hope is in Jesus, not this world. Continue reading “Where Is Our Hope?”

Silent Night, Holy Night

This blog post was originally published on December 22, 2012.

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them…” (Luke 2:6-7)

Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to earth in the most unobtrusive, unexpected of ways…as a baby. Our Savior chose to come quietly to be born of humble parents – one a young virgin, the other, a carpenter – even though he could have come with great fanfare to sit high upon an earthly throne, surrounded by riches. Continue reading “Silent Night, Holy Night”

Sharing the Love of Christ

This blog post originally appeared on December 9, 2018.

“Do everything in love.” (1 Cor 16:14)

The term “love” gets thrown around a lot in today’s culture. We hear the word so much that it’s lost its meaning. Recently, one of my friends recently explained the reason for this: we have only one word in the English language to express the deep, abiding feeling that love brings. We use the word “love” to describe how we feel about cheeseburgers, our families, and our hobbies, among other things. Continue reading “Sharing the Love of Christ”