Hope for the Doubting Thomases of the World
All Thomas wanted was to be alone. He didn’t know how to process Jesus’ horrific death, nor the fact that he ran away like a coward when he had promised he’d die with him. His failures and heartbreak were hard enough to sort through, so the last thing he wanted was to try to talk […]
Midnight at Noon & the Irony & Goodness of Good Friday
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54 For hours, the centurion had been watching him die. Death, torture, and humiliation were his daily fare, but there was […]
The Story of the Thief on the Cross—and What It Means for Us
And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:42-43 At first, he joined in the mockery. Why should he be punished when Barabbas went free? If Jesus was the Christ, why wouldn’t […]
Is There Such Thing As Random? How God Orchestrates People In His Perfect Timing
When my brother Marc was four years old, he and my Mom were in a department store moving downstairs on an escalator, when suddenly he screamed, “My foot, my foot!” Mom saw that his entire foot, up to his heel, had been sucked into the impossibly small space between the escalator wall and the step. […]
The Pontius Pilate Effect and How Not to Wash Your Hands of the Truth
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Matthew 27:19 Claudia sat straight up in bed and brushed her sweat-drenched hair away from her face. She sighed, relieved […]
How to Trust God’s Perfect Timing in Your Life
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 Jerusalem’s city streets swelled with people as rumors of Jesus’s arrival spread through the […]
How to Pour Your Life Out For What is Truly Valuable
“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” John 12:3 Simon could hardly believe his newly restored eyes. He scanned the room, amazed that he, a former leper, was […]
How to Overcome The Mindless Scroll Habit
Dear Daughter, The device you hold in your hand is an amazing tool. Its manifold uses are yet untold. When contemplating all the possibilities, we often say, “The sky’s the limit.” Surprisingly, that device you so casually slide into your back pocket allows you to exceed even the limits of the sky and gaze at […]
The Story of the Prodigal Son: A Tale of the Father’s Love
Over the weekend, we turned the house upside down to look for Gracie’s blue spandex. She was in a volleyball tournament, and part of her uniform had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. At first, I was minorly irritated. But as minutes of searching turned into hours, my irritation level rose. We rattled […]
This is the Love of God in 4-D and How it Changes Everything
The prison guard moved around the empty cell layering mint green paint over the graffiti-filled walls. It was part of his job. When one inmate died, and before the next one moved in, the walls were repainted, erasing any evidence of the previous inmate’s oftentimes disturbed mental state. The guard had seen all manner of […]
