When I was 16, I lived a life full of alcohol and drugs. I went through physical and sexual abuse, dealt drugs, faced self-harm, and honestly have no idea how I made it through alive. The year I turned 19, I was put in jail for the possession of multiple narcotics, and my mom put her house deed on the line to get me out of jail. I was only there for three days, but it was enough to shake me and show me what I needed to do to get out of this spiral. When I turned 20, I left my… Read More
The staff members at the church where I work often go to lunch together at a local restaurant. The wait staff has gotten to know us pretty well. One waiter in particular has stood out to me. Jim was one of those people who always had a smile on his face. He made you feel like an old friend he was happy to see. No matter what issues might arise, his demeanor never changed. He was pleasant and upbeat. So, when we came into the restaurant one Tuesday and he didn’t greet us with his usual smile, I knew something must… Read More
My wife and I have run a local food bank for over 20 years. We are both 80 years old and I’m on oxygen, but the Lord hasn’t told us to stop, so we just keep going. The Love In Action food bank is not just about the food; it’s really about showing and spreading the love of Jesus. It’s become a pretty big operation that is all a labor of love since no one takes a dime. Our food bank helps people going through a difficult stretch in their lives—someone that lost a job or came down with an illness.… Read More
To me, it didn’t seem like I was doing very much, but even the littlest things can make a big difference if we rely on God’s timing. The idea came to me when I saw their photos in the back of church. Our pastor had laid out vocation prayer cards with pictures of people studying for the ministry. I thought to myself: these are people giving their lives over to God as ministers. That couldn’t be an easy choice and required real sacrifice on their part, so I pondered how I could support them on their journey. My house was… Read More
I never dreamed I’d go from delivering the U.S. mail to delivering boxes of miniature, wooden parables of Jesus to the doorstep of families at my church. I retired from the post office and began serving at my church. I work with children who learn about Jesus using a Montessori-style of learning. Everything is hands-on, and experiential. For example, through the use of a hand-painted, wooden Jesus figurine, a dozen sheep, and a green pasture with a fence, the Bible story of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is discovered by children through play manipulation of the materials. Many other parable… Read More
How do we become workaholics? The roots are many but mostly from our early identity formation. My workaholic journey began in my teens. Just before entering high school, my family moved from an urban industrial multiracial working-class city to a laid-back middle class suburban community. The cultural shock knocked my identity off its foundation. To fit in, I unwittingly became a people pleasing overachiever. There are upsides to hard work and high achievements. But my story reveals the toxic side of this trait when it forms our identity. As an insecure adolescent, I just wanted to be accepted but did not understand… Read More
