February points us toward chocolate, Valentines, and love, so this month, our training centers on dating God. Jesus gave this warning to the church of Ephesus, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first (Rev. 2:4 NIV).” We do well to heed this one, because we live the…

I was doing some memory work in Romans 1 when the phrase “suppress the truth” grabbed my attention. To suppress means to end, to stop something by force. Do you watch the news? This happens to God’s truth daily. While some actively suppress the truth—not only the truth of God’s existence, but the existence of…

Ancient Israel. Located southwest of the Fertile Crescent in the direct north/south, east/west traffic from Egypt to Assyria. Like the small one-light town you drive through on the way to somewhere else. Yet Israel’s location was strategic. God planned to impact the world through this tiny nation. We read of Abram’s call in Genesis 12…

Running water. What a blessing! I turn on the faucet, and out it comes. Sometimes the water is hot. Sometimes it’s cold. But the water is consistently clean and available. I think Jesus was like that. Consistent and available. When people drew near, He gave clean, clear water. Sometimes a hot rebuke. Sometimes a refreshingly…

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…

A friend of mine recently had cataract surgery. Although a relatively young candidate for this procedure, she was informed by her doctor that she made his top three worst cataracts list. I’m sure she was thrilled. Today, colors are vivid, and she can pick up fine details—like all of her friends’ wrinkles. Her stories post-surgery…