“In the crushing, In the pressing, You are making new wine.” (Lyrics to Brooke Ligertwood’s “New Wine”) Personally, I cringe at the thought of the crushing. Pressing hurts the fruit. So, given the choice, I prefer to avoid the process. Yet, as I ponder the operation of wine production, there is no product without a winepress. As I researched, I found …
Holy Father, My motivation in wanting to know You isn’t always from pure intention. I want increase, not decrease — joy, not pain — strength, not weakness. Your comforting joy attracts me, but I’m hesitant to explore Your grieving sorrow. Yet, You are more than a good-timing God. You are both Christmas and Easter. Fellowship with You necessitates both resurrection …
By: Barbara Mandry Howling winds, horizontal hail, heavy rain, and a husband with genuine fear in his eyes startled me at the front door of our tiny upstairs apartment. We were both already irritated because the power had just literally left us in the dark right before the dramatic conclusion of a suspenseful television program. It was about 9:45 p.m. …
For most of my life, I have scribbled to-do lists on any and all available paper. In my teen years, I favored note pads from the Crosbyton Review with our high school mascot: the mighty, albeit seldom-victorious Chieftain. As a struggling young mother of two, I wrote on the back of my Mama’s letters or the margin of the church’s …
As the 7.6 earthquake vibrated through the core of our high-rise apartment, darkness prevented us from knowing the damage. We could feel the ground below rising and falling, and with every jolt, we assumed the upper floors’ weight was crushing those beneath. Fearful for our lives, we escaped down the stairwell and sleeplessly spent the rest of the night away …
Every family is currently dealing with grave hardships. Some are easily spotted in loss of finances or health. Others reach deeper because of trauma and grief, but the evil one is certainly on the move among God’s people. As we war against the enemy, how can we be encouraged to see these difficulties as the Father does? It’s all a …
“MARK! WATCH OUT!” My husband jerked the steering wheel, but our car still grazed the parked motorcycle. It was the second minor driving accident in two days. Being the calm, soothing wife that I am, I asked, “What is WRONG with you? Just because everyone else here in Asia seems to drive crazy doesn’t mean that you can. Can’t you …
You might say it started with a severed ear. With a rush to colonize the West Indies, strained relationships between Britain and Spain escalated over the fight for resources in the area. During a routine trade journey near Jamaica, the British ship Rebecca was halted by a Spanish coast guard. Spanish soldiers demanded boarding rights on the British brig, claiming …
O My precious child, Your life suddenly changed, and you feel shaken down to the foundation. Trembling and frightened, you now spend more time in fear rather than in prayer. Stop a moment, and let’s breathe together (Psalm 46:10). Cease turning this over in your mind and come to Me, for I understand your anxiety and weariness (Matthew 11:28). As …
When fear of the coronavirus first appeared on the scene, I began to hear these words piecing my heart. As our world began its journey with social distancing and sheltering in place, I heard it again. Then while tempers flared into riots and chaos, Apostle John’s simple words pounded in my soul a third time: “As He is, so also …
