In the Stillness

When I was a kid and got up in the middle of the night, I often found Mom sitting in her chair in the living room. The glow of the table lamp revealed a book on her lap—her Bible. My mom had trouble sleeping because of her insomnia and chronic pain, but she made good...

Compassionate Understanding

My father-in-law was a gunner in a bomber over Europe during World War II. His plane was shot down and he was captured, spending several months as a prisoner of war. Jim rarely spoke of the experience, but those who knew him before the war said that he’d been a...

Goals Aligned with God

After getting fired from his job without prior notice, Wil became so depressed that he admitted himself into an inpatient mental health facility. Then one day, after weeks with no progress, he was taking his daily walk when his therapist, seeing him, smiled and called...

Gentle Answers with God’s Help

“Close it up. I’ve seen enough.” Those were the words of an older, experienced beekeeper to me one afternoon when I was learning how to tend a hive.

Not Ritual but Christ

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, thousands gather each year to burn Zozobra—a fifty-foot towering effigy stuffed with their worries, bills, and regrets. They shout, “Burn him!” as they hope the flames will devour their anxieties and troubles and reset their lives.