Dreams: Finding Joy in the Chase We Call Hard Work

It was a beautiful, joyful experience. Then, it ended and life as a wife, mom, and general manager of my home resumed. For a moment I wondered why I couldn’t hold on a little longer to the satisfaction of knowing a job well done. As usual, God gave me an answer to this wondering in a reminder to get back to work. 

But First, Extinguish the Fires

We have to expect interruptions to some extent. As a nurse and a mom I am no stranger to the concept of stopping what you are doing to address something urgent. But sometimes I become discouraged, feeling like I should be further along. I see what I want to accomplish in ministry, the church, my marriage, and my profession, and it’s hard not to be disappointed if I am not at least moving forward. I see the potential in my children and wonder if we are spending too much time just surviving each challenge and not enough time cultivating their hearts and minds for the future. Treasured friendships are put on the backburner too often in order to fulfill present obligations. In all this, I wonder if my good intentions will ever materialize with more frequency than the ever present fulfillment of priorities.

How Stress & Anxiety Affect Physical Pain

By Karen Morgan, DPT Angelica For the past two Octobers, Angelica’s back “gave out.” As a personal trainer at a local gym, this flummoxed her. I treated her for each episode, but it was during the second episode that I thought to ask what sources of anxiety or stress could be feeding her pain. Tears

Building Unity in Community

Christians today often refer to themselves as the hands and feet of Jesus, but I never hear anyone boldly proclaim to be Jesus’s ligament. When I read Paul’s description of the body of Christ, I was struck by his chosen emphasis. He could have mentioned so many parts of a body. Out of all the organs, bones, and complex components that make up our bodies, the two things Paul chooses to highlight in this letter are Christ as the head, and ligaments.

Choose Life

The world will always give us the opportunity to choose, this I know. God simply says we should choose life, and here’s what I’m learning that means.

Puzzles, Elephants, and the Mysterious Bible

As a Bible study leader, if there is one question that I have been asked more than any other, it would be something along the lines of “I have a hard time understanding the Bible when I read it on my own, how do you make sense of it?” The truth is, the Bible actually has some helpful instructions to guide us in figuring out this particular puzzle, go figure!