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Jan, 30, 2012 0
My first few years of being a Christian were extremely exciting. I was 19 and just old enough to have made a small mess of my life, so repenting was easy. I welcomed the saving grace of Jesus Christ. A new life required a new set of friends, new job, and new outlook. Several years raced by and…
Jan, 30, 2012 0
In the past few years my wife and I have become empty nesters. One of our children graduated from college last year and the other one is attending a Nazarene university. When kids move away, parents have the opportunity to be reflective and remember all of those moments that led to the empty nest.…
Jan, 16, 2012 0
"It sort of makes me mad when I hear people say, 'be yourself.' I am trying to be myself. But I need help figuring out what that looks like. It's like they think I should already know." -Sophia, 17
Sophia and I had just met. We were on a flight together, both working on our laptops, when we…
Jan, 16, 2012 0
Dear Maurice,
I wish you and Benita could be with us here. The mountain air is crisp and the snow-capped peaks provide a majestic vista on the horizon.
News of your continued solid recovery from heart bypass surgery in the weeks since we were with you has buoyed our spirits. Keep up the good…
Jan, 15, 2012 0
The poor, backward town of Itapucumi, Paraguay, did not have much of a future to offer five-year-old Miriam Merlot. Her single mother had left her in the care of her uncle, Silverio, in order to find work in the city. When measles outbreak hit the area, Miriam fell ill along with many others. The…
Jan, 15, 2012 0
It happens several times every week. Someone calls, asking for advice as they try to transition mom or dad to an assisted living facility (ALF) or a nursing home.
Most of my 40 years of pastoral service have been with older adults. However, never has there been a time in my ministry when I have…
Jan, 09, 2012 0
Mark Holcomb is the general president for Nazarene Youth International (NYI). At the General NYI Convention in 2009, he was elected to this role. He is university chaplain at Olivet Nazarene University (ONU). Previously, he was on the ONU faculty and has also served as a local church youth pastor.…
Jan, 08, 2012 0
Nearly 36 months ago, at the beginning of what is now referred to as "the great recession," a pastor invited those in the Sunday morning worship service needing a job or wanting to improve their current employment situation to come forward and pray. Soon, people were kneeling from one end of the…
Jan, 05, 2012 0
"The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39, NLT).
I am a Nazarene healthcare chaplain. I became a chaplain because of the power of a promise. In 16 years I served five congregations. These frequent moves affected our…
Dec, 20, 2011 0
“I’ll be praying for you!”
We use this phrase often, and that is not a bad thing. We are called to pray for each other, to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). This is quite a calling and responsibility.
It is an invitation to make God the center of all our relationships, since only He can…