Faith Columns

Can you imagine how deeply our heavenly Father grieves when He sees His children mistreating each other? If I had as many children as God does, I wouldn’t last a day. Correction: I wouldn’t last five seconds.  Thankfully, God is long-suffering. I yearned for my children to learn what it means to bear (tolerate, endure) one…

Everybody knew. The woman had been married five times. To add to her scandalous reputation, the man she was now living with wasn’t her husband. Her neighbors wanted nothing to do with her – except as a source of delicious gossip. Shame reigned in the woman’s heart. Judgment reigned in her neighbors’. Then … Jesus entered…

“I’m here today to apologize for the personal mistakes I’ve made and the embarrassment I’ve caused my family and community… I’m announcing my resignation from Congress…” We’ve heard far too many speeches from politicians who found themselves in front of a microphone, confessing their transgressions because of their immoral behavior. It’s hard not to be cynical…

Remember when you were newly married? You loved doing whatever you could for your spouse. You found yourself humming while emptying the dishwasher, mowing the lawn, even scrubbing toilets. Do you recall when you first started that new job? How you smiled as you pitched in because you were thrilled to be part of the…

Standing there before God and man, I grasped my soon-to-be-husband’s hands tightly. “I need to confess something, Bert. I haven’t quite mastered 1 Corinthians 13:5 yet. So, maybe I’d be more honest if I said my vows this way: ‘I, Sheryl, take you, Bert, to be my husband if you don’t insult me, hurt my…

The words on the page are vivid. So excruciatingly vivid that you wish the plot would read differently. Emotions catch in your throat, and suddenly, you’re there – part of the story. “Stop!” you scream as soldiers viciously beat Jesus. But the slapping, mocking and whipping continues. You cover your ears, desperate to shut out…

May I ask you some personal questions, friend to friend? How is sin affecting your perception of God’s love for you? How is your sin affecting your Christian journey?  And now another: Why is it so easy to see and judge others for missing the mark while glossing over our own missteps?  When we downplay…

A highway sign tells me to merge because my lane is ending. As soon as possible, I do.  Then, where the lane ends, I see that several drivers who were behind me before I merged are stuck. I see their blinkers, but I refuse to let them in. I merged on time. I have the…

How devastating would it be if you discovered you’d accidentally recorded a conversation with your spouse, child or neighbor that didn’t show you at your best?  How quickly would you try to delete that recording? If you’re like most of us, you might discover things about yourself you wish weren’t true, such as how loud…

What are you doing to prepare your heart for Easter?  Today, you can do something that will change the way you celebrate Resurrection Sunday. This practice will also bring a clearer focus to your life and noticeable peace and joy. Before I go into more detail, let me review a little of my backstory for…