It had been one of those days. Even after crawling into bed, I could still smell the vomit. The day started at 5 a.m. with heaves from our five-year-old’s bedroom—stomach flu. When I hadn’t been mopping a floor or a brow, I’d been sanitizing to keep everyone else well. To top it off, the three-year-old felt a little too good, …
I stood at the edge of the precipice, afraid to look down. Stepping as far as I dared, my knees trembled, and my heart palpitated wildly. I was here by choice, knowing that remaining in safety wouldn’t do. Before me lay the proof of the waters I’d heard. Tumbling freight train loud and hurricane strong, the falls poured straight down from an unknown source …
“Your churches have much,” the convocation speaker summarized. Since he hailed from the People’s Republic of China, I assumed his visit to the Taiwan Baptist Seminary proved impressive. After all, Christians here in democratic Taiwan knew unlimited freedom. He’d mentioned our liberty to worship, pray, and evangelize, all of which stimulated a sense of pride among professors and students alike. …
“Power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) What is perfect power? Boundless energy? Surging potential? Superhuman strength? In the past, these were my expectations. Yet, in practical reality, His perfect power doesn’t feel a lot different from thoroughly worn-out weakness. Since the spiritual realm is a radically different plane from the natural realm, we should expect spiritual strength to …
Last year was dirty. Full of dust, blood, and tears because life didn’t go as planned. With the grime came the break-down, ugly pent-up cries that hurt so badly they didn’t feel like prayers at all. As I personally struggled in the dust, it caked over me, and I wallowed in insecurity over my family and future. Reading in Genesis …
Without thinking, I reached for the chipped bowl. My mother and grandmother used it extensively years before, and now it is my favorite too. Despite the hair-line crack, it remains my go-to container for meal preparation. I knew it was clean because I’d used it just a few hours prior. In fact, it was still in the dish drainer, having …
It’s said that the best sermons are the ones lived. I can agree as I have lived my share. One of these, in fact, involved a Mother Hen and me. As a preschooler, I spent my days roaming the grounds of our family farm. Maybe “grounds” is not the best word, as it makes the land sound well-manicured like an …
As a piece of pottery, I’m certainly no beauty. All that remains is my thick spout attached to a broken handle and a jagged shard of terra cotta. But despite my rather sad appearance, my master prizes me as a symbol of hope, a reminder to believe in the impossible. I began as most earthenware does, at the hand of …
Here, on the highest slope near Nazareth stands the unfinished edifice. The townspeople below are drawn here by some unknown magnetism. Boys come to play on the slab of rock, dueling with broken planks among the unused stones. The elderly come to ponder, tugged here to reminisce on loss, while the sun sets over the valley. Everyone else simply comes …
When I, a young Christian, stood still before Him, I stood in a tremble, awaiting His call. I wanted His favor. I sought it with earnest. My youth and my passion —I gave Him my all. “A wonderful plan” said the book set before me. A wonderful plan, oh my soul, could it be? “You’ve freedom from fear. …
