Christine Wentzel
Resolve
The ticktock countdown finally reached the midnight hour. While the echo of “Auld Lang Syne” burned off in the rising sun of the dawn,…
The weakest link
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link” is a proverb inspired from an 18th-century book by Thomas Reid. Ideally, God’s visible…
Public confession
It’s one thing to repent of our wrongdoings to our all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present God. In light of this, it kind of makes it…
God always answers
The news headline read, “Answered prayers!” Does that well-intentioned declaration really testify to the completely awesome work of God? Or does it lead someone…
After the feasting
What do you suppose happened after the feasting for the lost son’s return? In Jesus’ parable in Luke chapter 15, we learn it wasn’t…
Thankful for the thorn
“I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me. But he told me: ‘My kindness is all you need. My power…
The faces of Mom and Dad
Picture your parents in your mind’s eye. In all that you see, do you also envision the face of God superimposed over theirs? In…
At the empty tomb with Mary—Part 3
“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary’” (John 20:16). The Word made flesh holds the power to create from nothing, but with a gentle breath, he…
At the empty tomb with Mary—Part 2
“At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, ‘Woman, why…
At the empty tomb with Mary—Part 1
“When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven…
Breaking branches
There’s a scene in the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Aunt Bethany’s cat is gnawing on a string of lights. The cat ends…
Listen to me
Chatty strangers are put on this earth to test impatient-bent Christians. Whether they catch us on a good or bad day, there seems to…