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There once was a farmer who told his son to be home at a certain hour but one Saturday night the son failed to come home.  At midnight the father got out of bed and turned the lock on the front door.  He was still awake when he heard his son come home and try the door, without success.

If you read Bible stories as a kid, it's interesting to revisit them as an adult.  The story of the children of Israel escaping Egypt, Red Sea parting and all, was always a favorite of mine. What strikes me now is the evidence God gave His people that He was with them.

Have you heard of Marie Kondo?  Kondo is a popular guru known for helping people simplify and tidy up their lives.  She asks people to really think about why they own the things that they do. Many around the world have been inspired to take critical stock of what has use or importance in their homes.

Mae's husband was mad again.  She crouched in the bathroom, his breath hot on her neck as he yelled, "Stop crying like a baby! You're crazy!  No one else would put up with you!"  The fact of the matter was, that no one but Mae would put up with her angry, abusive husband.  Beaten down for many years, Mae continued to pray that God would change her husband. Unfortunately, Mae's church gave her bad counsel, sending her back to the anger, again and again.  Woman and men, like Mae, need our compassion and help.

Have the words, "You make me so mad!" ever come out of your mouth?  If so, you're not alone.  It's easy to think that someone else's wrong or thoughtless behavior is causing you to be out of control and angry!  If that were true--and many people live their lives as if it is, we would constantly be angry and bitter!  We're surrounded by a world of imperfect people who will always irritate, wrong and disappoint us.

I met a friend in person for the first time; she's a vibrant woman who exudes Jesus' love.  Patricia has been a nurse and educator for over 50 years in New York City.  As she shared her story with me, I was struck by the way racism had affected her life as a black woman—like the time a patient kicked her, screaming "Get away from me!" when she tried to care for the woman. I would have never seen that wound in my friend.  How many times, I wondered, have I been blind to much in the lives of those around me? 

What is heaven like? Heaven already exists, but it's not in its final form, according to scripture. The Bible refers to a place where God is and where Jesus returned to when He ascended from earth. This place is a realm where followers of Jesus are fully alive in completely perfect bodies, having shed the broken-down versions we lived in on earth.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself" (2 Corinthians 4:14).

Let's play a word association game:  what comes to mind when you hear the word, "obedience?"  My friend, Luisa, comes back with "blessing."  I, on the other hand, think, "coercion, followed by…spanking."  I recall a Christian parenting program that instructed parents to insist on first-time obedience from their children, or else!

Jesus is one person, but in Scripture and in our relationships with Him, we see so much of our own humanity.  First, each of us sees Jesus as He relates to us, and us to Him. Because Jesus was fully God and fully man, we all can each see ways that "Jesus was just like me."

It used to be popular to put adhesive stickers on the bumper of your car, endorsing a politician or bragging that your kid was an honor student at the local elementary school.  One especially irritating bumper sticker read, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven."  It was infuriating when the driver of a car with this sticker on it cut you off in traffic. Jesus, himself, showed open anger for religious people who honored Him with their lips when their hearts were far from Him. (Mark 7:7)