For most of my life, this has been my definition of “camping”: To forget to bring something really important, so that I can remember all the things I can live without, so that I can be eternally grateful for the things I have. To be in complete nature, alone, away from as many...
Imagine this.Your father has passed away, and you, the younger sibling, didn’t know him all that well. But you’ve got an older brother who worked closely with him for years, keeping the family business running.One day you find a stack of old letters your dad wrote — full of...
Sometimes God winks to remind us He was there the whole time. In 2013, my husband Lloyd was accepted for postdoc work in South Africa, studying the Acacia tree at Kirstenbosch Gardens. We packed up our three-year-old, Louis, and moved to a funky beach town called Muizenberg, just outside Cape...
Happy Fourth of July! Have the fireworks started in your neighborhood yet? I’m sure we’ll hear fireworks all weekend celebrating our nation’s Declaration of Independence from Britain 249 years ago. The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 2:2 that we should be praying for...
For Myrna and me, during the early summer months, accepting or planning activities is often referred to as "before the campout" and "after the campout." We try not to let our calendar get too full, especially towards the end of July. Sometimes friends ask why we take responsibility for the...
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you...
In a world that constantly shifts—where values fluctuate, priorities evolve, and circumstances change—there is one truth that remains unwavering: the worth of God is constant. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yet, in the busyness of life, it is easy to lose sight of this...
Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of spending time with several of our Global Partners—both here in Portland and around the world. Walking with them in their communities and serving alongside them in ministry has given me a front-row seat to what it means to live out...
I turned to Jesus when I was 17 years old. I grew up calling myself Christian, been to youth groups a couple of times and had heard vague messages that never clicked. As God began calling me to Himself, I started reading the Gospel of Luke. I was finally face to face with the words of Jesus and...
Tom just wrapped up our series on sanctification, so let's look back at the four ways God shapes us into the likeness of Christ: What God has done What God allows What God is doing And what we are doing God is always working. And he invites us to respond and participate. It’s...