My hand reached for the gift as everyone in the congregation watched. I pulled the brown book toward me, admiring its big, gold lettering. HOLY BIBLE was stamped across the front....

My mother enjoys jigsaw puzzles. She starts with the edges and works inward — slowly bringing order to the chaos of small pieces. The process is challenging but satisfying. One puzzle...

When I dig a seashell out of the sand, I first turn it one way and then the other to see its condition. Does it have chips or cracks, or is...

I walked out of the nursing home feeling like a failure. I had gone to visit a friend and to tell him about the good news of Jesus. Yet, as usual,...

Four-year-old James climbed into his car seat, and we drove off. “My eyes are closing down,” he announced sleepily. No wonder! He had just spent a long day playing on the...

In March 2003 I had a serious stroke. It was an especially difficult time because I am left-handed and was paralyzed on my left side for quite a while. I don’t...

My husband and I hiked down to the lake, which lay still in the early morning sunshine. Its surface perfectly reflected the world above — hills of dark green fir and...

I have the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom to my six kids. This allows me to spend time with them during the day, greet them after school, teach them, and...

For 40 years I struggled with a number of issues — from low self-esteem to drug and alcohol abuse — until one day law enforcement came to my door with a...

Four years ago I moved to a newly developed subdivision. In front of each house was a maple tree. I noticed that the tree in front of my house was infested...