Living it Up I can remember it like it was yesterday. I got my you have _ _ _ _ to live sentence, although it sounded more like 20 years in an Illinois State Prison System. It felt like it … Read More »

Dying to Live A couple of weekends ago, my sister Katie invited some of our younger siblings to spend the night at her and Nathan’s new home. Dinner was a comical scene: four Helds and two Fanchers squeezed around a … Read More »

Leaving a Lasting Impression A few years ago I was really struggling with my relationship with God and was questioning Him about some things I knew He had told me years earlier. I knew He had shown me a ministry … Read More »

Making a World of Difference As I read through Day 27, I could vividly remember that day in LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago when I had to make the decision between staying in the USA and enjoying the comfort and … Read More »

Staying the Course When Your Life Crashes I appreciated the reminder that obedience comes from faith. People like us are horrible and can front goodness for extended periods of time. Plus, we live amidst a culture pushing humanism–saying people are pretty … Read More »

Using Eternal Building Materials I like how our authors paraphrase something that Jesus says to Martha after she’s complained that Mary isn’t helping her prepare their meal: “Mary is doing the thing that’s most important and will last, the only … Read More »

Planting for the Future Seeds and Trees – reminds me of one word: Legacy, a sobering word. If you are wired as I am, I get rather pensive with that word. Not bothered, just pensive. Maybe it’s my upbringing and … Read More »

Creating a Lasting Legacy I’ve been thinking about the word “legacy”. It’s used a lot in our culture. People talk about wanting to leave a legacy for their kids and their kids’ kids. Every one wants to leave a legacy. … Read More »

Experiencing a Personal Miracle I think about why we don’t see many miracles today in our church (Grace Church). Maybe they are not advertised or maybe we do not properly recognize them as miracles (our standard is too high). I … Read More »

Playing with Integrity I know my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. 1 Chronicles 29:17 Better to be a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse. Proverbs 28:6 … Read More »