Christine Wentzel
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…
Plan to reflect God’s glory
There are basically two extreme types of planners: the long-ranger with Post-it Notes all over the house, car, and work; and then the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants…
A long obedience
“Fat” is a label that many of us put on ourselves without having any help from the peanut gallery of body-shamers. We can’t hide…
Nobody knows
“Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” is an old African American spiritual song that was sung in the days of slavery way before its…