Imagine you are a first-century Jew living peaceably in your small village, content with the traditions and customs which have defined your people for thousands of years. You make your daily trek to the well, while your husband, sons, father, and brothers go to Synagogue to study the Torah. You enjoy a shabbat meal with your extended family every week. Passover is the highlight of the year, when you all remember together how God saved your people out of Egypt and rescued your ancestors’ sons, while the firstborn Egyptian boys were killed in their beds.

As a little girl, I spent a lot of time at my grandma’s house, which she kept neat, orderly, and spotless. I could easily unload the dishwasher because I knew where every dish and utensil belonged. I could run through the dining room, into the living room, and jump onto my grandpa’s lap with hardly a thought, because his chair was always in the same place. (And after work, Papa was always in his chair.) We watched Wheel of Fortune after dinner, the Cosby Show on Thursday evenings, and the nightly news at 11. The routines and schedules were clear, predictable, and comfortable.

Recently, I was listening to a podcast discussion about how to raise children who love the Lord and serve Him. The host, a pastor’s wife, was interviewing her adult children, who are both in ministry today. It was a fantastic interview and a real encouragement to me as a parent.

I took my dog for a walk one morning this week. It was the longest 30 minutes ever!

The air grew thick and dark. Water pelted the car with such force it seemed it would break through the windows any second. Foreign objects pounded on the roof and doors, even pushing the side mirrors flat against the vehicle. The howling wind rocked the car back and forth. How much longer could they survive? It seemed that it would never end.

Welcome, ladies! I am truly so thankful that you have joined me here for weekly articles full of encouragement and help from God’s Word. I thought we would start this first week with some explanation. So today we will talk about the mission statement for ThinkBible.online

I’ve been a follower of Jesus since before I was a Christian. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s kind of true. I’ve wanted to be a missionary since I was in first grade, although I wasn’t saved until I was going into third grade. (I also wanted to be a concert pianist and have ten children. My mom says I made it about half way on each of those goals!) My natural tendency is to have compassion for people, and I saw those in foreign countries as needing something that I already had. Whether that was Jesus or just access to clean water and healthy food, I’m not sure. But I wanted to help others.