by Jenn Haugen “Turn on the light! It’s too dark!” Is what I hear if there is even a second of darkness when I tuck my kids in at night. I always turn on the bathroom light so it’s not pitch black, but sometimes there is a moment between turning off the hallway light, as…
loving God by loving others in our city and yours
by Jim Tienken The wildfires this year hit very close to home for those of us living in Central California. The aftermath of the devastation is still visible. I have a brother and nephew who operate heavy equipment assisting firefighters in their job. They were on the Creek Fire for a month trying to see…
by Beth Rodriguez At 55 years old, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. With a terminal diagnosis, he continued to live as a husband and a father with unshakable faith in God’s promises. Never did he ask, “Why me?” or doubt God’s plan for us. I admit that losing him a little…
by Stacy Wood Remember when you were a child and you got in trouble for saying something you should not have said? You might have been punished by having your mouth washed out with soap – a practical illustration of “cleaning out your mouth.” I guess the idea was to wash away the wrong or…
by Micah Foster I’m not much of a baker or cook. Erica will tell you, I have one secret ingredient for everything, cinnamon. Putting something in the crockpot? Add some cinnamon. Cooking something on the grill? Let’s try cinnamon. I just think cinnamon makes anything just a little more tasty. Those celebrity cooks you see…
by Joe Marquez Traditions are sacred. They are passed down through the years by loved ones, through memories and feelings of joy. Our memories create expectations, and these expectations create a sense of obligation to continue on with the traditions we deem so sacred. So what happens when your traditions are tested? What happens when…
The following Advent worship devotional was written by Paul Haugen If you’ve ever read through the Bible you may have missed something significant. Well, let’s be honest, we’ve all missed a lot of significant things, but I’m referring to the page turn that takes us from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Just like…
by Jenn Haugen All my life I have wanted to be a mom. I have always loved kids, and babysitting was my first job. I loved playing with them and taking them on adventures. I remember loving the routine of bedtime and meals. Now, I have four kids and get to do that everyday. I…
by Liz Sitton Do you sometimes wish the “voice” inside your head was a little louder? When it comes to my faith, I know I do. These days our lives can be so complicated, and how to live out our faith in this world can feel like a mystery. As I have grown in my…
by Charla Walls When we place an order online we receive a confirmation email with an approximate delivery date. We continue receiving notifications informing us that our order is on its way. We can even track our order! On December 3rd, your order left Kalamazoo, Michigan! We immediately feel excited and we trust that our package is on its…