Gratitude and Caring by Kim Reisman

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  Colossians 3:16 (NLT) In many parts of the world, governments set aside a day dedicated to giving thanks. In the United States that day falls

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Show Up and Pay Attention by Rob Haynes

I was recently visiting my son who is away studying at University, and we attended Sunday worship at a church near his school. After the service, quite a few people stopped us to thank us for showing up to church. The congregation was made up of mostly older members who seemed thankful, relieved, and overjoyed that people from a younger

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Rewriting a Story Gone Wrong by Michelle Bauer

“Ruth’s life is not living up to her expectations. She is a childless widow, living in a foreign land, dependent on the favor of strangers. Enter the Redeemer – the one who can rewrite the ending of a story gone wrong, buying back tragedy and making way for restoration.”

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Valuing Your Pastors: Snapshots Of Clergy Appreciation Month by Elizabeth Glass Turner

It is October, which for pastors is Clergy Appreciation Month. Recently I polled clergy on their experiences of Pastor Appreciation in the midst of ministry. The results managed to surprise me. I was curious to know answers to what I thought was a fairly straightforward, simple question: what’s one of the most meaningful gifts or gestures you received for Pastor

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On Being Hispanic by Edgar Bazan

As a Mexican, I did not know I was a Hispanic, too. The term “Hispanic” refers to people from Spanish-speaking countries and, in the United States, it is a technical demographic label or distinction used to identify people from a Spanish-speaking origin. Since in Mexico the primary language is Spanish, the term “Hispanic” is not commonly used to identify Spanish-speaking

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Boundaries And Forgiveness by Aaron Perry

Jesus taught that if, when offering a gift to God at the altar, you remember a brother or sister has something against you, you should go and be reconciled and then return to offer your gift (Matt. 5:24). I get the impression that reconciliation is the gift God intends to give the worshipper—even before a gift has been brought to

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While You Were Getting Your Nails Done by Carolyn Moore

In this world we are like Jesus. – 1 John 4:17  As in the U.S., Thailand has no shortage of nail salons. In the U.S., I have a tolerate-hate relationship with those places. For many people, it is a treat to have someone else paint your fingernails and toenails, massage your feet and give you an hour in a gyrating chair. For me,

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What’s The Point Of Freedom? Self-Expression vs Self-Control by Andy Stoddard

Recently I read a quote that has stuck with me: “looking at our culture, you’d think self-expression, not self-control, is a virtue.”  I’ve thought a lot about that: there is a lot there.  Today’s reading from 1 Corinthians 8: 9-13 brought it back to my mind: But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the

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