We are grateful to meet again with Dr. Daniel Kyungu, a social scientist and a bishop with the Church of Christ in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the DRC). For this Q&A, we begin with his God-given vision of the Bethany Theological Center for both disabled and nondisabled pastoral students. It’s beautiful. Then, we ask him to share about how he journeys through physical disability and even warring conflict with a spirit full of joy. It’s a powerful testimony. May we all be encouraged and challenged by his faithful example. I certainly have been. In case it was missed last year, the fi ..read more

“Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?” Job 38:31-32 For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light. Lord of All, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. I was thinking about this hymn recently when I showed up early at church for a prayer meeting. The front door was locked, so I sat outside and enjoyed the stars. Within a minute or two Chris, a college student, drove up. As we wai ..read more

“Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?” Psalm 56:8 Think of all the tears you’ve ever cried. That time at recess when you weren’t picked for dodgeball. The Saturday night of the prom when you sat home alone. The job interview that went sour. The time your neighbor down the street told you to “quit talking about religion.” The day your father died. The day your spouse left. You may have thought no one noticed your red eyes. Not so. God saw. What’s more, he has every intention of rewarding your endurance through that pain. Why else would he meticulously c ..read more

“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.” Psalm 147:7 My favorite classical guitar piece is called “Recuerdos del Alhambra.” And nobody plays it like Christopher Parkening, probably the greatest classical guitarist in the world. My husband, Ken, is friends with Christopher. They both like to fish, so whenever we’re together, the subject is trout and tuna. Recently the three of us were at our home, and Ken left the room to get a fishing rod to show Christopher. I said, “Chris, I’m sorry to sound like such a fan, but one day I would love it if you would play for ..read more

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” Proverbs 3:7 These days, we’ve been conditioned to offer our opinions on just about everything. With social networking sites flickering at us from our phones, survey invitations coming over email and at the end of every customer service call, we are told our voice matters. Many of us rate the service we receive at the restaurants we visit and the quality of the products we buy online. In doing so, it’s like we’re holding a pair of scales in our hands that weigh every aspect of our lives. Until recently, I didn’t realize just ho ..read more

https://youtu.be/KrG6KW-bhYA Let’s say you are going through a tough, confusing trial and you’re having a hard time understanding the good that God intends in it. Man, I’ve been there, and it’s why Ephesians 3:18-19 is so helpful. It says that we need “strength to comprehend… The love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” Some hard things simply “surpass our knowledge.” There’s a lot about suffering you will ‘never’ understand or know… but what you DO know is the love of Christ. You know that he died for you. He’s proved his love to you at the cross. And because of the cross, he provides you g ..read more

“I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father.” Jeremiah 31:9 The Patapsco River runs white water between Marriottsville and Woodstock, Maryland. I ought to know, because as a child I rode horses there. Over the course of a half mile, the river drops several meters, tumbling over jagged rocks. A sharp ledge of granite and slate rises up on the left bank. On the right bank lies a flat, grassy meadow. Now, you could travel either riverbank, for the trail splits there. One path leads up the dangerous, slippery slope; the oth ..read more

“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” 1 Corinthians 2:13 Corrie ten Boom survived the Nazi concentration camps and went on to travel the world to share Christ with millions. A series of strokes severely incapacitated her, after which she retreated to the sanctuary of her small home in southern California. But Corrie’s ministry did not stop. Her house became a sanctuary of prayer. Shortly before Jesus took her home, I went to visit her. I wheeled into Tante Corrie’s house—the air was ..read more

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Hebrews 6:12 Today marks the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing that gutted a U.S. federal office building, leaving 168 people dead. That day a pastor friend in the city invited me to hurry and come visit families who were anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones. When I wheeled into the Red Cross center to be cleared and credentialed, an official from across the room exclaimed, “My God, are we glad to see you!” I looked over my shoulder. Did the woman in the ..read more

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.” Proverbs 10:19-20 To the apostle Paul, it must have seemed as though his life were spinning out of control at times. How could he avoid shipwrecks? He had no control over the phony apostles who were jealous of him and slandered his reputation. He never asked to be dumped over the city wall in a basket. He couldn’t help it when that demon-possessed girl followed him around Philippi, shouting obscenities. Yet for all his l ..read more