Ready to Be Generous

My great uncle’s memorial service featured a meal of roast beef, corn, and beans to honor the hospitality that he and his wife lived out for many years. Each Sunday morning, they would put a large roast and veggies in the crock pot before going to church. After...

The Gift of Prayer

I trudged into the grocery store to buy a Father’s Day card. I had forgiven my father. I had tried reconciling over the years—prayerfully processing the hurts inflicted before and after I left home at fifteen. Sadly, decades later, I still couldn’t...

Receiving from God

In his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill’s quote epitomizes the American Dream: If you work hard, you can achieve your wildest dreams. Hard work may lead to...

The Path of Life

He was born a slave in the 1860s. A sickly baby, he was sold to a slave owner for the cost of a horse. As a teenager, he witnessed the killing of a black man by a group of white people. Remarkably, George excelled in school, but when he applied to Highland University...

Taking Refuge in God

As the outdoor concert started, I felt a single raindrop on my cheek. Looking up, I saw ominous dark clouds. Having paid a steep price for tickets, however, I wasn’t inclined to leave because of a little bad weather. Then umbrellas began to pop open. One woman...

With Friends Like These . . .

“I know you better than you know yourself!” As a young man, I heard that confident declaration from a friend. Her intentions were good, but my complicated life as an adopted missionary kid had been shaped across four continents and cultures. She...