Encouraging Words Devotional

Someone is Expecting You

Back in 2008, because of the global financial crisis, the Baikalsk Pulp & Paper Mill shut down. Now, for most towns, this would create a serious problem for those who worked at the mill.  For this little town, located in the wasteland of Siberia, it was a full-blown crisis, for the mill was the primary source of jobs for the 17,000 people who lived there.  When the mill shut down, other businesses folded. People went into survival mode, unscrewing all but one light bulb in their homes to save money on electricity.  They stayed in bed in the mornings because there was nothing to get up for. Alcohol consumption rose.

How to Age Well

Okay, okay, I admit it.  I’m a senior.  And I don’t always wake up in the morning bounding in energy these days.  My responsibilities have certainly changed from the days of parenting young children.  And while Harold and I travel a good deal in ministry, I do have more hours at home than I used to.

Running to Us with Forgiveness

You probably know it as the story of the Prodigal Son found in the Bible in Luke 15--the familiar account of the son who asks his father for his share of the inheritance, goes off and wastes it all and ends up penniless and hungry. Eventually he decides to go home to his father hoping that he can get a job as a hired servant.

Praying for Your Grown-Up Kids

Whoever thinks parenting ends when a son or daughter turns 21 doesn’t understand that a parent never quits caring.

            I always feel a heart-tug when I read the apostle Paul’s words: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 1:19 (NIV). Isn’t that a good description of your concern for your kids’ spiritual welfare--it’s like childbirth. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you long for each of your kids to make progress on their journey into grace too.

Paula's Story

In desperation, she grabbed two bottles--a bottle of whiskey and bottle of pills--and headed to the beach. At last she would end her pain. Two years of struggle and depression since her divorce had destroyed any thread of hope for the future. Why keep trying?

On Dark Days

When Harold and I were first married, we visited the coalmining region of England for the first time.  The weather was cold and gloomy as we entered a little town whose buildings were darkened by the coal smoke. The laundry hanging on the clotheslines looked gray and dirty even though it had just been washed.

The Value of a Child

When does a child get his soul—that part of a person that never dies? It’s a question that people have debated for centuries.

To start with, let’s go back to Adam.  The record in Genesis says that the Lord formed Adam of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). The initial thought, then, might be that a child receives a soul when he takes his first breath.  But I, for one, believe it is much earlier.

They Call Her Sister Freda

They call her Sister Freda, and she is an inspiration to me!  She is a Kenyan nurse who saw great need and decided to do something about it. So she started a medical clinic in an area of great poverty.

Wonder—and Worship

“Oh, Terri, just look at that rose! See the delicate markings and shading? Absolutely gorgeous! Just look at it!”

Yes, when I see a beautiful flower, I immediately want to grab your arm and pull you over to take a look at its loveliness, the exquisite color, the unusual formation of the petals. Terri, my walking partner, is getting used to my exclamations as we pass by lovely flowers. She knows I just have to exclaim about them. And she knows she might as well stop right where she is until I’ve had time to take a closer look.

Talking to a Friend Can Be Prayer

Talking is something most women enjoy. I guess it’s because women value relationships that we also value time to share feelings and thoughts with other women. But because of our fast pace of living, talking with friends is something most women do less and less these days.