“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 One of my family’s favorite things to do on road trips is to forgo our normally healthy snacks in favor of buying junk food when we stop at rest areas on our journey. Larger rest stops are filled with rows and rows of chips, snack mixes, chocolates, and candies. We excitedly open and eat what we purchase as soon as we return to our vehicle. Inevitably, an hour or so down the road, discomfort and fatigue set it. This has especially resonated with me as I have gotten older; my stomach cannot handle the processed, fried, and spicier f ..read more

“In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God” “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” (Psalm 40:1-2) Having faith in God will not exclude a believer from experiencing moments of darkness. Jesus reminded His followers, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (James 16:33) My darkest moment came when I was in my mid-twenties. For years, I had lived with one foot in the world and one foot in ..read more

The Two Thieves on the Cross Jesus’s cross was placed between two thieves who were crucified on either side of Him. “Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.” (Luke 23:32:33) “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at (Jesus): “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39) This criminal had committed acts that resulted in his punishment, as gruesome as it may have been. He did not cry out in repenta ..read more

The Lord Shows Love to a Thousand Generations of Those Who Keep His Commandments “Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.” – Genesis 7:21-23 Several years ago, we took a family trip to Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum in Petersburg and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown. We were ..read more

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10 In the Book of Jeremiah, the Israelites were placed in Babylonian exile for 70 years, due to their disobedience to God and their unwillingness to repent. When Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, he allowed the Jews to return to their homeland. However, not all the Israelites went back, for many had acclimated to the secular ways of Babylonian life. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah recount the events that occurred after the Israelite remnant returned to their promised land ..read more

Repeat the Lord’s Commandments to Your Children, Again and Again “But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” – Acts 17:6-7 For those who follow global and national news and trends, many are predicting the year 2024 to be bleak and grim. Our post-Covid world has not fully recovered from the turmoil and commotion we have c ..read more

In 2023, Forbes Advisor surveyed 1,000 individuals going through a divorce, and conflict among extended families was listed among the top seven reasons for marital deterioration. “Family relationships can be a source of conflict in a marriage when differing expectations or dynamics come into play. Disagreements with in-laws, discussions about holiday plans and other gatherings, or different values, beliefs, or traditions among each partner’s family can lead to arguments and resentment.” This statistic is sadly unsurprising to me. In the particular field of marketing in which I work, I often c ..read more

“And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” – Ecclesiastes 4:4 The release of a limited-edition Valentine’s Day pink Stanley cup, being sold at Target and Starbucks, recently made the news – and not for positive reasons. I will let an excerpt from a news article from mother.ly.com speak for itself: “This limited edition vacuumed-sealed cup led to overnight campouts, long lines, and chaos. There were fights and cops called over people cutting in line, shoving, pushing, and folks stealing cups out of ..read more

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5 The Season of Lent will begin this year on Ash Wednesday, which is February 14th. The Season of Lent is a time for Christians to remember Jesus’s redeeming love for His children, even while we were still sinners. Through Christ’s suffering and death on the Cross, He restored our relationship with God and gave us hope of salvation. Psalm 103:13-14 is sometimes quoted during Ash Wednesday services, “As a father has compassion on his children, so th ..read more

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1 Our son has recently entered the preteen years.  More challenging than the sleepless nights during the newborn months, more challenging than the toddler phase where busy hands are exploring every possible danger (despite how much we baby-proofed the house,) and more challenging than navigating how to balance school, homework, and extracurricular activities comes the phase of life where every healthy ..read more