What Discouraged Parents Might Need to Hear from the Story of Samson

Have you ever read the story of Samson in the Bible? Even the parts that don’t make it into a Sunday School lesson? It’s rather appalling. I recently read through it, and there were some details in there I hadn’t noticed before. Or perhaps they were just so terrible I had conveniently forgotten them. As…

Abide & Be Fruitful

“What regrets would you have if you died tomorrow?” my devotional guide asked me. I’m sure this reflection question was meant to spur healthy contemplation and helpful goal setting, but instead it caused a rising wave of panic inside of me. The empty lines beneath this writing prompt met my middle-aged eyes looking as blank…

Where Your Greatest Gift Could Be Hiding

With every turn, my GPS is taking me further from the highway, bouncing over ever-increasing potholes. I’m now navigating backroads in a corner of my home province that I’ve never been to before, heading to a secluded beach house for a week-end retreat. I’m a bit nervous. What will this intimate gathering be like? How…