In the southern Bahamas lies a small piece of land called Ragged Island In the nineteenth century it had an active salt industry but because of a decline in that industry many people emigrated to nearby islands As of fewer than eighty people lived there The island featured three denominations yet the people all gathered together in one place for worship and fellowship each week With so few residents a sense of community was especially vital for them The people of the early church written about in Acts felt a crucial need and desire for community as well They were [... more]

ldquo Christianity is not for me It rsquo s boring One of my values I hold on to is adventure That rsquo s life to me rdquo a young woman told me It saddened me that she hadn rsquo t yet learned the incredible joy and excitement that comes with following Jesus mdash an adventure like no other I excitedly shared with her about Jesus and how real life is found in Him Mere words are inadequate to describe the adventure of knowing and walking with Jesus God rsquo s Son But the apostle Paul in Ephesians gives us a [... more]

In Beep Baseball the players who are blind listen for a beeping ball or buzzing base to know what to do and where to go The blindfolded batter to account for various degrees of blindness and sighted pitcher are on the same team When a batter swings the bat and hits the beeping ball he or she runs toward the buzzing base The batter is out if a fielder ldquo smothers rdquo the ball before the batter makes it to the base otherwise the batter scores a run One player remarked that the best part is that he feels ldquo [... more]

From the spiral staircase to the expansive bedroom from the hardwood floors to the plush carpeting from the huge laundry room to the well-organized office the realtor showed a potential home to the young couple At every corner they turned they raved about its beauty ldquo You rsquo ve picked the best place for us This house is amazing rdquo Then the realtor responded with something they thought a bit unusual yet true ldquo I rsquo ll pass along your compliment to the builder The one who built the house deserves the praise not the house itself or the one [... more]

Although just thirteen years old DeAvion took up a challenge to serve others He and his mom had heard a story about a man who called on kids to mow fifty lawns for free during their summer break Their focus was to assist veterans single moms people with disabilities mdash or anyone who just needed help The founder who had mowed fifty lawns in fifty states created the challenge to teach the importance of work ethic and giving back to the community Despite the heat and other activities a teenager could pursue in the summer DeAvion chose to serve others [... more]

Everything felt drastically different in their new country mdash new language schools customs traffic and weather They wondered how they would ever adjust People from a nearby church gathered around them to help them in their new life in a new land Patti took the couple shopping at a local food market to show them what rsquo s available and how to purchase items As they wandered around the market their eyes widened and they smiled broadly when they saw their favorite fruit from their homeland mdash pomegranates They bought one for each of their children and even placed one [... more]

A young mom followed behind her daughter who pedaled her tiny bike as fast as her little legs could go But picking up more speed than she wanted the little girl suddenly rolled off the bike and cried that her ankle hurt Her mom quietly got down on her knees bent down low and kissed it to ldquo make the pain go away rdquo And it worked The little girl jumped up climbed back on her bike and pedaled on Don rsquo t you wish all our pains could go away that easily The apostle Paul experienced the comfort of [... more]

A tornado blew through a community on a June evening in destroying a family rsquo s barn It was a sad loss because the barn had been on the family property since the late s As John and Barb drove by on their way to church the next morning they saw the damage and wondered how they might help So they stopped and learned that the family needed assistance with cleanup Turning their car around quickly they headed back home to change clothes and returned to stay for the day to clean up the mess the violent winds had created [... more]

Zach was funny smart and well-liked But he secretly struggled with depression After he committed suicide at age fifteen his mom Lori said of him ldquo It rsquo s just hard to comprehend how someone that had so much going for him would come to that point Someone like Zach was not exempt from suicide rdquo nbsp There are moments in the quiet when Lori pours out her sorrow to God She says that the deep sadness after suicide is ldquo a whole different level of grief rdquo Yet she and her family have learned to lean on God and [... more]

The Croods an animated caveman family believe that ldquo the only way to survive is if the pack their small family stays together rdquo They are afraid of the world and others so when looking for a safe place to live they rsquo re filled with fear after discovering a strange family already in the area they rsquo ve chosen But they soon learn to embrace the differences of their new neighbors draw strength from them and survive together They find that they actually enjoy them and that they do need others to live life fully It can be risky [... more]

Billy a loving and loyal dog became an internet star in His owner Russell had broken his ankle and was using crutches to walk Soon the dog also began to hobble when walking with his owner Concerned Russell took Billy to the vet who said there was nothing wrong with him He ran freely when he was by himself It turned out that the dog faked a limp when he walked with his owner That rsquo s what you call trying to truly identify with someone rsquo s pain Coming alongside others is forefront in the apostle Paul rsquo s [... more]

Anne the lead character in the Anne of Green Gables stories longed for a family Orphaned she had lost hope of ever finding a place to call home But then she learned that an older man named Matthew and his sister Marilla would take her in On the buggy ride to their home Anne apologized for chattering on and on but Matthew a quiet man said ldquo You can talk as much as you like I don rsquo t mind rdquo This was music to Anne rsquo s ears She felt no one had ever wanted her around much less [... more]

Kevin walked into the nursing facility after his dad passed away to pick up his belongings The staff handed him two small boxes He said he realized that day that it really didn rsquo t take an abundance of possessions to be happy nbsp His dad Larry had been carefree and always ready with a smile and an encouraging word for others The reason for his happiness was another ldquo possession rdquo that didn rsquo t fit into a box an unshakable faith in his Redeemer Jesus nbsp Jesus urges us to ldquo store up treasures in heaven rdquo Matthew [... more]

Gary was experiencing some balance issues while walking His doctor ordered physical therapy to improve his balance During one session his therapist told him ldquo You rsquo re trusting too much in what you can see even when it rsquo s wrong You rsquo re not depending enough on your other systems mdash what you feel under your feet and your inner-ear signals mdash which are also meant to help keep you balanced rdquo ldquo You rsquo re trusting too much in what you can see rdquo brings to mind the story of David a young shepherd and his encounter [... more]

The professor ended his online class in one of two ways each time He rsquo d say ldquo See you next time rdquo or ldquo Have a good weekend rdquo Some students would respond with ldquo Thank you You too rdquo But one day a student responded ldquo I love you rdquo Surprised he replied ldquo I love you too rdquo That evening the classmates agreed to create an ldquo I love you chain rdquo for the next class time in appreciation for their professor who had to teach to a blank screen on his computer A few days later [... more]

Linus in the Peanuts comic strip is best known for his blue security blanket He carries it everywhere and isn rsquo t embarrassed at needing it for comfort His sister Lucy especially dislikes the blanket and often tries to get rid of it She buries it makes it into a kite and uses it for a science fair project Linus too knows he should be less dependent on his blanket and lets it go from time to time always to take it back In the movie A Charlie Brown Christmas when a frustrated Charlie Brown asks ldquo Isn rsquo t [... more]

When playing basketball with her girlfriends Amber realized her community could benefit from an all-women rsquo s league So she started a nonprofit organization to foster teamwork and impact the next generation The leaders of Ladies Who Hoop strive to build confidence and character in the girls and encourage them to become meaningful contributors to their local communities One of the original players who now mentors other girls said ldquo There is so much camaraderie amongst us This is something I rsquo d been missing We support each other in so many different ways I love seeing the girls succeed [... more]

Alexa Siri and other voice assistants embedded in smart devices in our homes occasionally misunderstand what we rsquo re saying A six-year-old talked to her family rsquo s new device about cookies and a dollhouse Later her mom received an email saying that an order of seven pounds of cookies and a dollhouse were on their way to her home Even a talking parrot in London whose owner had never bought anything online somehow ordered a package of golden gift boxes without her knowledge One person asked their device to ldquo turn on the living room lights rdquo and it [... more]

During the pandemic lockdown Jerry was forced to close his fitness center and had no income for months One day he received a text from a friend asking to meet him at his facility at p m Jerry wasn rsquo t sure why but made his way there Soon cars started streaming into the parking lot The driver in the first car placed a basket on the sidewalk near the building Then car after car maybe fifty of them came by Those inside waved at Jerry or hollered out a hello stopped at the basket and dropped in a card [... more]

On one side of the street a homeowner displays in his yard a giant blow-up bald eagle draped in a US flag A big truck sits in the driveway and its side window has a painted flag and the back bumper is covered with patriotic stickers Directly across the street in a neighbor rsquo s yard are signs that highlight the slogans for current social justice issues in the news Are the people in these homes feuding or friends we might wonder Is it possible that both families are believers in Jesus God calls us to live out the words [... more]

For fifteen years Mike Burden held hate-filled meetings in the memorabilia shop he ran in his small town But in when his wife began to question his involvement his heart softened He realized how wrong his racist views were and didn rsquo t want to be that person any longer The militant group retaliated by kicking his family out of the apartment they rsquo d been renting from a member Where did he turn for help Surprisingly he went to a local black pastor with whom he rsquo d clashed The pastor and his church provided housing and groceries for [... more]

Jason wailed as his parents handed him over to Amy It was the two-year-old rsquo s first time in the nursery while Mom and Dad attended the service mdash and he was not happy Amy assured them he rsquo d be fine She tried to soothe him with toys and books by rocking in a chair walking around standing still and talking about what fun he could have But everything was met with bigger tears and louder cries Then she whispered five simple words in his ear ldquo I will stay with you rdquo Peace and comfort quickly came Jesus [... more]

A mom felt she rsquo d been overspending on family Christmas gifts so one year she decided to try something different For a couple months before the holiday she scrounged through yard sales for inexpensive used items She bought more than usual but for far less money Christmas Eve her children excitedly opened gift after gift after gift The next day there were more Mom had felt guilty about not getting new gifts so she had bought even more for Christmas morning The kids began opening them but quickly complained ldquo We rsquo re too tired to open anymore You [... more]

Two-year-old Kenneth went missing Yet within three minutes of his mom rsquo s - - call an emergency worker found him just two blocks from home at the county fair His mom had promised he could go later that day with his grandpa But he rsquo d driven his toy tractor there and parked it at his favorite ride When the boy was safely home his dad wisely removed the toy rsquo s battery nbsp Kenneth was actually rather smart to get where he wanted to go but two-year-olds are missing another key quality wisdom And as adults we sometimes [... more]

It makes no logical sense but when my parents died within a three-month period I feared they would forget me Of course they were no longer on earth but that left me with a large uncertainty I was a young unmarried adult and wondered how to navigate life without them Feeling really single and alone I sought God nbsp One morning I told Him about my irrational fear and the sadness it brought even though He knew it already The Scripture passage that came in my reading for the day was Isaiah ldquo Can a mother forget the baby at [... more]

Donelan a teacher had always been a reader but one day it literally paid off She was planning a trip and reviewing her lengthy travel insurance policy when on page she discovered a wonderful reward As part of their ldquo It Pays to Read rdquo contest the company was giving to the first person to read that far into the contract They also donated thousands of dollars to schools in Donelan rsquo s area for children rsquo s literacy She says ldquo I rsquo ve always been that nerd who reads contracts I was the most surprised of anyone rdquo [... more]