WE’RE WATCHING OUR YOUNGEST SON and his wife prepare for the arrival of their first child, our sixth grandchild. It’s been eleven years since we’ve had a newborn in the family. Most days, I manage my exuberance fairly well. Somedays I can’t. Like tod

MY MOM WAS RIGHT WHEN she said, “You never stop mothering.” Even as a mother of adult sons, I’m tempted to manage them, but I know I need to let them figure out their own lives. Especially as they struggle with adult issues such as heartbreak, career

MY HUSBAND DAVID AND I love flowers—all flowers. While touring Hawaii many years ago, we visited an orchid nursery and brought home several of those exotic plants. But ten years later, and despite all my nurturing, not one of them flowered. I became

Every attempt has been made to credit the sources of copyrighted material used in this book. If any such acknowledgment has been inadvertently omitted or miscredited, receipt of such information would be appreciated. Scripture quotations marked (AMP)

THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS OF technology that I enjoy: my laptop, smartphone, and DVR and the ability to stream music and FaceTime loved ones. But in some ways I’m old school. I have friends who have almost completely replaced paper with apps, calendars,

MATURING IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH Jesus has helped me identify inaccurate thoughts I’ve had regarding my faith. For instance, take the matter of living a pure and blameless life—I believed it mattered solely because God expected it. Failing to meet Hi

WHEN MY HUSBAND, SCOTT, AND I were first married, we lived in a cute fourplex. Some of our neighbors discovered an antique steamer trunk while cleaning out their garage. Inside was a large packet of early 1900s love letters with Norwegian and Califor

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Edward Grinnan MORNINGS WITH JESUS EDITOR Janet Talbert Susanna Foth Aughtmon, Jeannie Blackmer, Isabella Campolattaro, Pat Butler Dyson, Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, Grace Fox, Heidi Gaul, Sharon Hinck, Pamela Toussaint Howard, Jeanet

MY FEATURES RESEMBLE MY LATE father, just as my daughter is my mini-me. Our full lips, smiles, and artistic natures mimic Dad’s. I’m fascinated by how each of us, deep within our DNA, carry reflections of our forefathers. As I gather facts and photos

I LOVE THE STORY OF Zacchaeus the tax collector, whose very occupation was associated with sin. Yet, when he heard Jesus was coming to town, he ran to meet Him. Crowds blocked his view, until he spotted a tree. There the story took a radical turn. Je

LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. But the mystery of Henry and Bertha’s love letters wasn’t just a love story; it was a family story. When you marry love with family, it is powerful. My sixth-grade history class could not wait to reunite the letters with Be

RECENTLY I BEGAN READING A funny novel about an awkward young female character, and early in the story, she mentions she had gone an entire weekend without speaking to a single human being. She asks herself, “I exist, don’t I?” This was supposed to b

I DASHED OUT OF THE house, having overscheduled as usual. My daughter Melissa, who wasn’t feeling well, texted me, asking what she could eat to settle her stomach. I suggested yogurt, but since she didn’t have any, I told her I’d run to the store and

MY HUSBAND, ZANE, AND I participated in a small group to test content for a leadership book written by Christian neuroscientists about developing habits for increasing trust, joy, and engagement in the people you lead. Every week we met, we walked aw

AS I WAS THINKING about how I would introduce myself in these pages and what I would write, I was reminded of a delightful Zoom tea I had a few months ago with my colleague and friend, Rick Hamlin. Afterward, we exchanged a few e-mails about prayer.

WITH THE PUBLICATION OF MY first book, I was invited to join an online group of professional women authors and speakers. Joining required a promise to work on developing the speaking side of my ministry. I attended one conference and met many wonderf

THERE IS A DEEP JOY—THE sort of meaningful, overwhelming, heart-swelling sort of joy—that can’t be expressed in words alone. Because I was a dancer and choreographer in my younger days, my eyes light up when I come across a Bible verse that mentions

MY MOTHER AND STEPFATHER RECENTLY moved into a senior living home. On Ash Wednesday, a guest pastor hosted a service in the event center, so I arrived early to walk them upstairs. We found chairs in the back of a room that was soon crowded with white

AT THE START OF EACH year, I ask Jesus to take control of my calendar. I also ask Him to fill in the blank dates to mesh with His purposes for me. This practice keeps me mindful of my role: I’m His servant, here to do His bidding. He alone knows what

AFTER YEARS OF MIDWESTERN WINTERS, my husband and I invested in a gas fireplace. With the press of a switch, a cozy fire flared to life, sending out warmth and light. All winter, I pulled my chair close and worked near the hearth. As icy winds rocked

I WORK AS A CHURCH administrative assistant. My first day on the job, I asked the pastor how often people stopped in to request financial help. “Not that often” he said. I sighed in relief. I knew there would be times when I’d have to say no to a req

NO ONE TOLD ME THAT living on a boat in British Columbia in winter would be so damp. I first clued in when our bedding began to smell musty. We stripped the sheets and pulled up the mattress. I could scarcely believe my eyes. Mildew spotted the mattr

YEARS AGO, I SAW A pastoral counselor for some painful, persistent issues. One day, she—a passionate Christian—announced excitedly, “Jesus gave me this verse for you,” and recited the verse above. I was hungry for a new life but paralyzed by my past

TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE PURPOSEFUL and impactful life of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King. As a Baptist minister, Dr. King was no doubt inspired by this verse when he said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” Men

WHEN MY HEART PALPITATIONS INCREASED in frequency, my doctor had me wear a heart monitor taped to my abdomen, which continually recorded data. After that, he scheduled a stress test. I walked on the treadmill, watching my heart function in real time

WHEN I BECAME A CHRISTIAN, I stopped listening to certain music to avoid unhelpful temptations. I stopped wearing certain clothes to avoid attention I no longer wanted. I quit drinking. I stopped going certain places and socializing with certain peop

I LOVE GAMES AND PUZZLES, so this morning I decided to complete a crossword. I hadn’t done one in years. I poured some coffee and settled at the kitchen table to fill in the empty squares. Hmm . . . a four-letter word meaning “endnotes.” I’d come bac

I JUST FINISHED REREADING THE children’s classic Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga’g. This sweet book about an older couple in search of a new pet has captured my heart for decades. In the story, the old man finds a hill covered with millions of cats. How

I ADMIT I AM PERFORMANCE oriented. The familiar urge to achieve was triggered recently when I met with a friend about her work. I listened to her talk about her job, her busy schedule, and the interesting people she meets. “How about you? What are yo

I LOVE OREGON’S WILD COAST. Though it’s stunning during the summer, I’m a storm watcher, so every winter I travel to a historic inn at a tiny seaside town. Rain pelts the windows and sneaks in under the doorjambs at this oceanfront place. Trees twist