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I once heard a health-care professional speak about tears.  She claimed that tears caused by laughter are very different from tears caused by sorrow.  I discovered that photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher put dried tears formed from different kinds of trigger points under the microscope and the pictorial results were stunning.  Tears contain different molecules depending upon whether they are formed due to sadness, happiness, or by reactions to onions or tear gas.  She discovered that tears formed from hard laughter aren’t even close to the appearance of tears formed from sorrow.

God has a purpose and a plan for the gifts and dreams He’s given to us. But—have you ever wondered how to measure the success of your ministry?  It’s tempting for us to look at other Christians who appear to have large ministries, bestselling books, popular podcasts, large social media numbers, and multiple speaking engagements. …

I was baffled.  As a young adult, how would I ever figure out what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to?  I passionately loved Jesus and wanted to follow His call anywhere He wanted to send me and to do whatever work would further His Kingdom, but I couldn’t figure out the…

Most of my life has been lived in a hurry. As the firstborn of six preacher’s kids it was my responsibility to help on multiple levels—with caring for younger siblings, volunteering for jobs at church, filling in when Bible teachers were absent, organizing events, praying for individuals who were hurting—and on and on. I was…

Over the past two decades of my son’s incarceration, I’ve learned that my toughest time of the year is during the Christmas holidays. It may have to do with the colorful decorations in stores, or the lighted trees in yards, or the upbeat seasonal songs on the radio, or with the envy I feel when the driveways on my street have extra cars parked out front for their family reunions—and Gene and I are going to the prison to spend the day behind the razor wire. We’ve been doing this long enough that I am fully aware that my malaise begins early in December and lasts for a full month. I can put on a plastic smile and appear “fine,” but I’m not.

The emcee was exceptionally funny. I was seated in the audience at a large convention, and the opening ceremonies established a circus theme, complete with clowns, helium balloons, popcorn, and a live elephant. The huge jungle animal thundered down the central aisle, causing a major stir on the main floor of the convention center.  Immediately…