When Andrew and his family went on safari in Kenya they had the pleasure of watching a variety of animals frequenting a small lake that appeared in the scrabbly landscape Giraffes wildebeests hippopotamuses and waterfowl all traveled to this life-giving source of water As Andrew observed their comings and goings he thought how the ldquo Bible is like a divine watering hole rdquo mdash not only is it a source of guidance and wisdom but it rsquo s a refreshing oasis where people from all walks of life can quench their thirst In his observation Andrew echoed the psalmist who [... more]

Reflecting one day on why God values humility so highly sixteenth-century believer Teresa of Avila suddenly realized the answer ldquo It is because God is the supreme Truth and humility is the truth nothing good in us springs from ourselves Rather it comes from the waters of grace near which the soul remains like a tree planted by a river and from that Sun which gives life to our works rdquo Teresa concluded that it rsquo s by prayer that we anchor ourselves in that reality for ldquo the whole foundation of prayer is humility The more we humble ourselves [... more]

ldquo The wind is tossing the lilacs rdquo With that opening line of her springtime poem ldquo May rdquo poet Sara Teasdale captured a vision of lilac bushes waving in gusty breezes But Teasdale was lamenting a lost love and her poem soon turned sorrowful Our backyard lilacs also encountered a challenge After having their most lush and beautiful season they faced the axe of a hard-working lawn man who ldquo trimmed rdquo every bush chopping them to stubs I cried Then three years later mdash after barren branches a bout of powdery mildew and my faithless plan to dig [... more]

Believers can tend to get caught up with everyone else when economic and social calamities strike How should we as believers act and live when the going gets tough Let's take some guidance from the prophet Jeremiah who saw times like ours coming To endure times of hardship we need to have a support system in place cultivated in the soil of our inner devotional life with God We'll explore five choices that cultivate intimacy with God where He can revive our souls even in the middle of a dry and dusty land Click here to listen Duration [... more]

The baby wasn rsquo t due for another six weeks but the doctor had just diagnosed Whitney with cholestasis a liver condition common in pregnancy In a whirlwind of emotions Whitney was taken to the hospital where she received treatment and was told her baby would be induced in twenty-four hours In another part of the hospital ventilators and other equipment needed for the onslaught of COVID- cases were being put into place As a result Whitney was sent home She made the decision to trust God and His plans and delivered a healthy baby a few days later When [... more]

Some call him the ldquo tree whisperer rdquo Tony Rinaudo is in fact World Vision Australia rsquo s tree maker He rsquo s a missionary and agronomist engaged in a -year effort to share Jesus by combating deforestation across Africa rsquo s Sahel south of the Sahara Realizing stunted ldquo shrubs rdquo were actually dormant trees Rinaudo started pruning tending and watering them His work inspired hundreds of thousands of farmers to save their failing farms by restoring nearby forests reversing soil erosion Farmers in Niger for example have doubled their crops and their income providing food for an additional [... more]