Recently my wife, Gwen, and I were on vacation in San Juan. Because there was no coffee available at our hotel, I took an early-morning stroll and found a fast-food restaurant...

This year my husband and I decided to turn our little-used back deck into a container garden. It is working beautifully. I am overjoyed by the brilliant colors of the flowers,...

I was at the beach admiring God’s beautiful creation. Wading into the water, I was being tossed around by rough ocean waves. I kept falling down and going under. It was...

When my son was in kindergarten, I started a morning ritual of reading The Upper Room to him. Though we were often rushed in the mornings getting ready for school and...

My husband grew up working in his family garden and still enjoys growing his own vegetables. One year, we had an abundance of heavy rain. Roads closed, bridges were washed out,...

The alarm of a nearby water system woke me up. After several minutes, I heard a mockingbird copying the beeping sound. I smiled at the bird who was copying not another...

Most humans yearn for group interaction, so it can be considered odd to delight in solitude. But the “odd” people stand out. They break away from the herd by doing something...

When I read today’s parable, I find myself wondering, How can I spread the seeds of faith everywhere I go? We can spread the seeds of faith on any soil and...

I noticed a need at my new church: a choir to lead congregational hymn singing. Although I’ve been part of church choirs since my childhood, the idea of directing an adult...

As a five-foot-tall teenager with a poor complexion, I was always on the receiving end of jokes. My so-called friends called me by nicknames that referenced my height, and my well-meaning...