Today I am blessed to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my beautiful bride and love of my life, Heidi. Valentine’s Day 2012 was not so happy. I won’t go into details in this public place–not yet anyway–but many of our close friends and family know the past several years have been a struggle for us. I know we’re not alone. Marriage …

What do you do when you are struggling and God seems far away? Especially during this season of the year, it seems many of us are hurting. We desperately want to know Immanuel—God with us—but he seems more like Exmanuel–God used to be with me, but now I feel like he’s left me … or I feel like he is …

When you are walking through a dark valley of the soul or when the circumstances in your life are not making sense, it’s vital to ask the right questions. In Psalm 73, the people, in the midst of difficult and seemingly unfair life situations, are dismayed and confused. “Does God realize what is going on?” they ask. “Is the Most High …

What do you do when life sucks? What do you do when it seems everyone and everything is against you? What do you do when your marriage isn’t what you want it to be or you are struggling with your kids? What do you do when your pile of bills is way bigger than you can pay? What do you …

There are some “if … then” passages in the Bible, and it is vital how you interpret and apply them! Here’s one I read this morning: “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18, New Living Translation).  Some people interpret this legalistically. In other words, they think, God will not …

If you’re at the end of your rope, there are some important questions you need to ask yourself: What is the other end of this rope tied to?  Where is this rope supposed to be taking me?  Is it tied to the right things, the right values? Am I sure I’m at the end of my rope or do I …

Quite often, God puts his children on hold. King David experienced this. “I wait quietly before God,” he said in Psalm 62. (Actually, David wrote often about this act of waiting on God.) I’ve experienced this and so have you. Perhaps you’re on hold right now. God is always with us. It’s not as though we’re sitting on hold while …

Temporary is a sweet sweet word. When Jesus told people not to worry but to seek first the kingdom of God, he was telling them, and us, that stuff is only temporary. When Jesus healed people of their diseases, he was telling them that their sicknesses were only temporary. All these people eventually died of something, and yet all of …

Rich Mullins passed away 15 years ago today, when his Jeep crashed near Bloomington, Illinois, on his way to a benefit concert. I did not really know Rich, although I had the opportunity to meet him once and had a meal with him and the band along with a few other friends from Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary after he …

This morning I’m thanking God for all the things in this life he has given me so far. Like anyone else who has lived 52 years, I have things in life I could be bitter about today. I know that while my specific circumstances are unique, the hurts and pain I feel are common to all. But I have a …