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As I entered our local Hallmark Store a few days before Valentine’s Day, I engaged in one of my favorite hobbies—people watching. Through the fragrance of candles, red roses, and chocolates, I made my way to the busiest part of the store where Valentine cards were as varied as the people who stood quietly, reading card after card, searching for the one that could express what they couldn’t quite put into words. While adults wrestled with their feelings, an eager little boy stood on tiptoe to reach a pack of Pokémon cards and stickers for his classmates. [...]

So . . . what are you going to do in the next twelve months? Have you made any resolutions? Do you want to lose weight or exercise more, find a new job, quit smoking, tell someone that you love them, or just try to keep your head above water? In 2026, we have 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, and 31,536,000 seconds to make our good intentions a reality. Long term, the results can be disheartening. Eighty to ninety-five percent of people who successfully lose weight will gradually regain it. Stress and trauma can retrigger cravings [...]

Charles Dickens was deeply shaped by incarceration. When he was 12, his father lost his job as a pay clerk in the British Navy and was sent to debtor’s prison. His wife and children, except for Charles, soon followed. To survive, Charles was sent to work at Warren's Blacking Factory where he washed and labeled jars of boot polish for 10 hours a day. He would later write that the ordeal left him feeling “utterly neglected and hopeless.” This experience fueled his lifelong critique of systems that treated the poor like outcasts and neglected the helpless. In [...]

Sometimes the people who have the least to be thankful for, like prisoners, are the ones who appreciate even the smallest gesture of kindness. Incarcerated individuals live in a world where identity is reduced to a number and hope is rationed. It’s a realm where they’ve been stripped of agency, dignity, and connection. When the Jailbird Ministry reaches into that world—not with judgment, but with grace, it’s a reminder they’re still seen, still worthy, still redeemable. The Word of God is often an inmate’s first step to reconnect with God, purpose, and family.  Isaiah 55:11 says, “so [...]

It haunts me that consumers are expected to spend a record high of $13.1 billion dollars this year to celebrate Halloween. 196 million Americans will hand out candy, wear a “dress to impress” costume, and decorate their home or yard. People will also carve pumpkins, throw or attend a party, and visit a haunted house. The top costume for children is an action hero or princess, the top pick for adults, a witch or vampire. Pets will not be left behind, with 10% of shoppers dressing their pet as a pumpkin, hot dog, or bumblebee. Spooky trick-or-treaters [...]

I’ve never considered myself a bona fide shoe aficionado. To me, they’re just a practical necessity. They keep my feet out of the elements, prevent me from stubbing my toe, and stop me from putting my foot in my mouth! But after a knee replacement, I learned the right shoes can keep my body in alignment, provide proper support, and help me to feel my best. So, there I was at one of the big-box stores, looking for new sneakers amongst the swarms of children getting ready for another school year. In the beginning, humans wore shoes [...]

In my teens, I taught a Bible-study club for preschoolers, aptly name the Sunbeams. One of their favorite songs was “The B-I-B-L-E.” The children clapped their hands and hopscotched from one foot to the other as they sang enthusiastically: The B-I-B-L-E, Yes ,that’s the book for me; I stand alone on the Word of God, The B-I-B-L-E. Without question, the Bible is fundamental to my faith; its principles have guided me throughout my life. With the invention of the 15th century printing press, the Gutenberg Bible marked the start of printed books in the West, making the [...]