There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ~ John 1:6 I was named after my uncle. I never met him because he passed away before I was born. Our oldest son was named after my grandfather who passed when he was a toddler. My youngest son was named after a dear...

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ~ Luke 1:39, 40 Who is your person? The one you go to when your plans have gone to pot or your life has jumped the...

“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” ~ Matthew 1:20b The Christmas story is filled with angelic visits. The angel Gabriel visits Zechariah. Then he visits Mary. An unnamed angel visits Joseph. An entire flock of angels...

Have you ever set a goal that seemed impossible in the moment? Running a marathon, baking a perfect loaf of bread, or starting a new career can all seem impossible. Until you do it. Reaching a goal we once thought impossible gives us a new definition of what is...

"How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” ~ Luke 1:25 (NLT) Have you ever met someone with an overwhelmingly positive attitude? Sometimes it can be annoying to be around people who are always cheerful and upbeat,...

Have you ever lost your voice? Maybe you lost your voice after scream-singing at a Dave Matthews Band concert. Maybe you got so sick it was too painful to speak. If something like that has ever happened to you, you may have noticed it’s difficult to communicate...

What if you knew, without a doubt, that your team would win the Super Bowl this season, or who the next president will be, or what features the next iPhone would have? Who would you tell? Would they believe you? The angel Gabriel has a tough job. He has to tell people...

Every four years, the Summer Olympics are held in one major city around the world. They’ve been held in London, Atlanta, and, in 2020, people from all over the globe will watch the Olympics in Tokyo. The impressiveness and beauty of these cities makes the games...

The people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.Isaiah 9:2 My daughter wakes up in the middle of the night. A lot. She’s just doing what little kids do. But it hurts me. Not getting up to...

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel ~ Isaiah 7:14 Have you ever felt like God wasn’t with you? Have the circumstances of your life ever made it seem that God couldn’t...

Some people can’t wait to retire. They have visions of a condo on the beach and sleep uninterrupted by alarm clocks. In this dream, retirement is where the business of work ends and the business of life begins. That’s not the case for King David. Retirement isn’t an...

Have you ever noticed that sometimes nature is really weird? Maybe you’ve seen the viral video of turkeys walking in a creepy circle around a cat (look it up if you haven’t – it’s pretty wacky!). Animals do some pretty bizarre things. The Bible has some strange animal...

If you don’t know it already, you will need to upgrade your cell phone. It may not be today, or even this year, but an upgrade is in your future. Your phone might shut itself off for no good reason, the battery will drain quickly, or the apps will begin to glitch...

You and a friend sit down at your favorite coffee shop. You get your latte, she’s sipping her coffee. You catch up about your families, work, and she asks how that book you’re writing is going. There’s a brief, thoughtful silence in your conversation. She leans in...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. ~ John 1:14 The apostle John lived with Jesus for more than three years. He walked, talked, ate, slept and followed Rabbi Jesus. When God’s Spirit moved John to tell his story about Jesus, he went all the way back...