And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for […]

When the cashier finished sharing her story, I immediately recalled Dickens’ famous words:  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  What had just transpired was literally the tale of two completely different pumpkins. Let me back up a bit and provide you with a full picture of this painfully human moment. […]

Watching the famous Rose Parade on New Year’s Day of 2020, I remember being inspired by its theme, The Power of Hope. After the ups and downs of 2019, it felt like all of us could use more hope in our lives. Little did I know how true that thought would turn out to be. In […]

As parents, we struggled with the same dilemma most moms and dads do—dealing with the tears our little ones shed when we leave them.  It’s heart-wrenching, even if you are dropping your children off to spend time with grandma and grandpa or with that great Sunday School teacher at church.  Recently, I watched tears stream […]

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven,    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”Luke 2:13-14 In the novel A Christmas Carol we find a cantankerous character named Ebenezer Scrooge.  This miserable man loathed the very thought of Christmas, so […]