“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col. 4:6).      When I was teaching, I would often think after saying something to the class that I needed a sign to accompany my statement. “I’M KIDDING!” I am not sure where the…

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).      Most of us are familiar with the quote from Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew, And leaves us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!” This would inspire John Steinbeck to write a…

“For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23).      What a wonderful Mission Festival we had. It was so exciting to hear about what God is…

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).…

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,…

“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for…

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom. 15:5-7).…

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the…

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:13-14). So, what is the tune you are singing today? Perhaps it is Elvis’ “Blue Christmas.” We often tend to…

“But as for me, my feet almost slipped, I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3)      I was given my favorite cookbook decades ago, and its pages continue to give me inspiration in my cooking. It is published by the Mennonites…