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“So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.’” Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) Put the novel down. Let me suggest the book of the prophet Zechariah for your summer reading. The latest video has nothing on Zech’s…

Ever feel like hashing things out with God? Today’s political and cultural climate sends me to my knees, so I was looking forward to my class on Old Testament Prophets. They have much to say to 21st century America. One prophet stands out to me. His book is a favorite. Habakkuk. Small book. One of…

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 53:1 NIV) We know better. Before there were synagogues or churches, there was worship. Personal worship. Altar building. (Genesis 12:8 Abraham) Memorials. (Genesis 28:18 Jacob) Sacrifices. (Genesis 8:20 Noah) Somewhere the concept was lost because the only worship I was taught was corporate. Choirs.…

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted.” Proverbs 27:6 (NIV) Wounds and friendship. They don’t appear to go together. Friends comfort when someone else hurts us. Friends encourage. Build up. But wound? Hurts from a friend cut deeply. We don’t expect pain to come from a friend. We feel betrayed. Let down. Anything but friendly.…

All the kids were home this weekend. That gets harder to pull off as the nest empties. Russell and I stood in the kitchen and watched our four, plus one daughter-in-law and one daughter-in-law-to-be. Laughter filled the house. It made my heart glad to know my kids and their relationships are healthy and strong. Surely…

Wails erupt in my backyard. I feel the neighborhood cringing. I teach swimming lessons each summer. At present, I’m several days into a new session. Learning to swim is stressful. For most kids, swimming sounds fun until… Until it’s not. It’s hard. It’s scary. And it takes work. While some kids truly are fearful, most…

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” (Joel 2:25a NIV) Locusts. They come from nowhere and devour everything—eating plants and trees, stripping even the bark. What once was green and healthy now lies in ruins. Leafless stubble with no promise of fruit. I’ve often heard others pray for God to restore…

Math: 1+1+1=1 English: perichoresis In honor of all of the high school students taking their SAT’s this summer, here’s a little math and English—Trinity-style. First, math. The Trinity. Three-in-one. One God eternally expressed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 1+1+1=1 God extends His crazy math to us. Marriage: “For this reason a man will leave…