The story of the rich young ruler shows up in Matthew 19 , Mark 10 , and Luke 18 .  It’s hard to read this story without it landing heavily. The man was not rebellious; on the contrary. He was sincere. He was a good man. He ran to Jesus. He knelt.  Respectfully. He asked the right question—the eternal one: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Apparently, he knew he had but a few moments in Jesus’ presence, and he asked the one thing he had been bothered by. And Scripture

God hears our prayers, but excuses do not move Him—or heaven. You  will not threaten God with ultimatums, and if you try, you have clearly forgotten who created whom. Throughout Scripture, God was never impressed by people’s excuses. How tired someone felt, how old they were, how small they thought they were, or how impossible the situation seemed. Limited resources, age, and inconvenient timing have never intimidated God. What moves Him is a "YES." What stirs His heart is su

Not a symbolic gift.  Not a sentimental gesture.  But something real. If it were humanly possible to honor Him on His celebrated day of birth, what would actually make his heart smile? Scripture records humanity asking that very question. Micah 6:6–7  “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of o

Every generation must answer the question. When it’s near, the atmosphere changes. When it’s missing, something feels hollow. Ministries rise and fall on it. Leaders are revealed by it. Churches are remembered because of it. The question isn’t whether you’ve seen it before- The question is: Do you have it? There is something God places on a life, on a ministry, on a house of worship—something no human effort can create on its own.  Jeremiah 20:9 “But His word was in my heart

Death. Loss. Heartbreak. Storm. Flood. Fire. Single parenting. Widowhood. Loneliness. Surgery. Cancer. Calamity. Betrayal. Divorce. Infertility. Miscarriage. Prodigal children. Financial collapse. Job loss. Chronic pain. Depression. Anxiety. Burnout. Caregiving exhaustion. Unanswered prayers. Waiting seasons. Loss of identity. Public failure. Private shame. Feeling forgotten. Losing faith—or fighting to hold onto it. It’s hard to hold on. Hard to smile every day. Hard to act

Why am I so frustrated with this topic? Because I talk to and counsel with a lot of people who are struggling with p*rnography, and it is wreaking havoc on their relationships and marriages. Simply viewing p*rnography quickly becomes a personally devastating issue. Repeated exposure to s*xual images/scenes can make extreme or unhealthy s*xual content feel normal. The media often sets unrealistic ideas about s*x, relationships, and intimacy. What we consistently consume influe

This is me. This was me. And by God’s grace, I’m healing. I’m learning—slowly—that I don’t have to stay busy to prove my worth. For most of my life, that’s what I believed. Growing up, it felt like the only time I received genuine praise was when I was doing something for someone else. So I connected being productive with being valuable, purposeful. When people thanked me, applauded me, or needed me, it felt like my purpose. It felt like identity. It felt right. The truth is,

Imagine a world where the possibility of making your own videos within minutes, creating your own songs, generating your own recipes, designing your own fashion, making your own animations, creating a website in minutes, an Excel spreadsheet in seconds, writing your best thesis, or your first ever book, generating your own custom art, or playing games with robotic partners. That world is here and now. But all that, as fun as it sounds, may very well take a dangerous, drastic

Treated unjustly .  Has it ever happened to you? Have you been taken advantage of? Have you ever been violated? Has anyone ever tormented or taunted you unfairly? Stole from you? Treated you like an outcast of society? Jesus tells a story in the Bible comparing an unjust judge with a widow who refused to give up in her pursuit of help. Jesus doesn’t tell us exactly what the widow was facing, but we can conclude she was being wronged and desperately needed justice. Maybe someo

Emotions are signals from our mind and body, trying to communicate something important. They’re not just random feelings—they carry vital information about our needs, values, and environment. When emotions arise—particularly sadness—they are often trying to tell us that we need to acknowledge and process grief or loss. They may be signaling that it’s time for reflection, rest, or simply a pause to tend to ourselves. They can also indicate a need for connection or comfort tha

Fifty years of heartbreak, triumph, tragedy, and victory. The life of missionaries Theresa and Bennie DeMerchant was anything but average. They spent decades on the mission field in one of the most inhospitable regions on earth—the Amazon of Brazil. After losing her husband in 2017, Theresa returned to the States to be near her family. She came back from the Amazon with one suitcase—everything she owned packed into a single piece of luggage. A missionary wife who had poured o

When the Spirit Leads, the Mind Finds Peace We often separate our spiritual health from our mental health, as if they are two different worlds. But Scripture shows us they are deeply connected. What happens in our spirit inevitably overflows into our thoughts, emotions, and daily mindset. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it . When the Bible mentions the “heart,” it often refers to the inner spiritual life—our beliefs, our

Talking about the "hard things" in life is fundamentally difficult because these conversations inevitably push us outside of our comfort zones. The primary barriers are often rooted in intense feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and vulnerability. We desire to project an image of having it "all together." This fear—that our real struggles, mistakes, or needs will lead to a loss of respect or outright rejection—drives us to silence. Admitting to deeply personal issues lik

Human spirits recognize other human spirits. Everywhere you go, your human spirit goes before you. Ever heard of the expression “Birds of a feather flock together?” Why is that? Why do some people tend to gravitate toward other people who are just like or a lot like them? Why do people naturally gravitate toward others who are just like them? Because the human spirit senses  what the eyes can’t always see. Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt tension—like a h

Faithful in the NOW! We spend so much of our lives looking ahead—wondering, planning, worrying about what’s next. The future pulls at us with steady tugs. Sometimes it’s fear—fear of what might happen or what might never happen. Sometimes it’s loneliness—that quiet emptiness that consistently sends it quiet reminders that you are lacking in some area. And sometimes it’s simply the uncertainty of what is coming next. But Scripture reminds us that God meets us in the present .

Our physical health is vital, yet our spiritual health ultimately determines the direction and purpose of our lives. Just as a physical body weakens without proper care and nourishment, a spirit languishes without communion with its Creator. Life is full of attractive paths—success, comfort, approval, status, wealth—and it is easy to begin chasing these things as ultimate goals, rather than seeking God first. These pursuits are not always inherently bad, but when they become

Christmas—"the most wonderful time of the year"—can feel like the most painful when you are a widow or are suffering through a loss. The festive lights and cheerful carols can feel like a stark contrast to the darkness and silence in your home and heart. An empty chair at the table, well-meaning "Merry Christmas," and even small familial traditions can sometimes amplify your loss. But it’s Ok.  Grief is a testimony to the love you shared.  The season, which is heavily focused

Life often presents us with situations that make us feel overwhelmed, outnumbered, and surrounded by challenges. It might be financial trouble, a health crisis, or the persistent negative voices of doubt and insecurity in our minds. In those moments, our natural eyes only see the vast "army" of our problems, much like the servant of the prophet Elisha, who panicked when he saw the city surrounded by enemy forces. But Elisha's response offers a profound shift in perspective: "

I was listening to a podcast today, and the guy mentioned something about screens, portals, and a movie director. Sometimes all it takes is a quick comment like that to send me down a rabbit trail — and this was definitely one of those times. Having raised 5 kids with now 10 grandchildren...I am quite concerned with the amount of time that kids (and people in general) are spending on screens, and more importantly than that, what they are watching. I think we all know by now t

You’ve said it. I’ve said it. We’ve all said it, and we’ve said it more than once...”I don’t have time.” Yep, Guilty as charged. We are all given the same hours in a day, yet there are those seemingly unique people who were born with the gift of time management. Not only were they born with the gift of time management, they require very little sleep (I’m convinced they secretly have more hours in a day!) You probably have a friend or two or ten like that as well as I do. An