Three months ago, my mom said half-jokingly, “You better finish that book before I die!” Monday was a holiday, and mail is not delivered on holidays. So I was surprised to find a padded envelope on the walkway leading to my front porch. I was puzzled; I didn’t recognize the sender. [...]
If you have been around young children over the past year or two, then you are very familiar with the tune “Baby Shark.” It does not matter if you love it or hate it. Whenever you hear it, your head immediately starts bobbing, your body moves with the rhythm, and you [...]
Which boxes define you? This is just a partial list of categories that divide us. If we think long and hard enough, we can fill up the rest of this page. But this is enough to make my point. Our world is fractured, and we can clearly choose where we stand [...]
We live in a politically-driven, divided culture faced with conflict on every side, and it is becoming increasingly fractured. Allegations of racism, the sanctity of life vs. abortion rights, Judeo-Christian ethics vs. “woke” ideology, the list goes on and on. You get the picture. We cannot help but be concerned about [...]
Photo Credit: Michael Belk 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." John 4:6-7, ESV Photo [...]
3 He left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. John 4:3-5 Photo Credit: Michael Belk Have you ever found yourself at a particular place and time [...]
“I see myself in the mirror. I wanna love the person looking back at me.” On January 6, 2020, I was awestruck by 13-yr-old Angelina Jordan singing Bohemian Rhapsody on America’s Got Talent (AGT). In addition to her stunning voice, she displayed poise and confidence well beyond her years, earning the [...]
“Dreams and aspirations motivate us. They give us focus and fuel to move forward. But what happens when those dreams and aspirations are crushed by an excruciating loss beyond our control? An unwanted divorce? Losing a child? Losing a spouse? I don't know which is the hardest; I suppose it is the [...]
"We have an anchor that keeps the soul, Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love." Priscilla Jane Owens (1829 - 1907) Growing up in church, we sang this old hymn above. I can still picture [...]
“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:14b (ESV) Jasmine was only 70, yes, only 70. She was a "young" 70-year-old. I will never forget the time she was "carded" while purchasing a bottle of wine with our groceries. If there [...]
When I pastored a small church with limited resources, I struggled to prepare an Easter sermon. How do I present the most significant event in human history in a fresh, creative way that will captivate the listeners' interest who have heard the story since childhood? Large churches might enlist a Christian [...]
"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone." Genesis 2:18 Jasmine was first admitted to the hospital at the height of the COVID pandemic and placed in isolation, which meant no visitors were allowed. Through a unique set of circumstances, I was permitted to visit [...]
"How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?" (Habakkuk 1:2) "The LORD is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18) When the doctor said, "She will never recover," it felt like a punch in the gut! I never expected to hear [...]
The house is quiet now. The sound of Fox News or Asian dramas from the television is no longer flowing from the family room. The quietness reminds me that she is no longer here, and my sadness surfaces yet again. We spent a lot of time together at home. She was [...]
“If I had only known the last time would be the last time, I would’ve put off all the things I had to do.” From Scars in Heaven by Casting Crowns Amid the chaos in her hospital room, Jasmine was confused. I said to her, “They are transferring you to a [...]
“Faded photographs, covered now with lines and creases Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces.” I am dating myself by bringing up the lyrics of this song, Traces, which was released in 1968 by The Classics IV. The song reflects upon memories of a love that has been lost, hoping [...]
"We don't 'move on' from grief. We 'move forward' with it." Nora McInerny Nora McInerny is an author and speaker who experienced grief first-hand by losing her husband and father and miscarrying a child within several weeks of each other. I counseled people who had lost loved ones, and now [...]