Appreciate God’s Protection - A Nighttime Prayer

An Honorable Man of Valor - A Nighttime Prayer

“Then I [Moses] commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel.’” – Deuteronomy 3:18 (ESV)Please Pray:Dear Lord, Your saints down through the ages have been...

May 29, 20251 min readHonor Valor Courage Faith Prayer

Shirley Brosius

An Honorable Man of Valor

“Then I [Moses] commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel.’” – Deuteronomy 3:18 (ESV)For many years, my father, Daniel Smeltz, marched in our local...

May 29, 20253 min readHonor Courage Valor Faith Devotional

Shirley Brosius

Choose Joy - A Nighttime Prayer

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)Please Pray:Dear Lord, you never ask us to do the impossible. When you ask us to bear the fruit of the Spirit, we know you will help us to grow that...

Apr 26, 20251 min readJoy Happiness Salvation Service Prayer

Shirley Brosius

Choose Joy

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the older you get, the more challenging life becomes. For my husband and me, there are no more vacations to New...

Apr 26, 20253 min readJoy Happiness Salvation Service Devotional

Shirley Brosius

Don't Be Puzzled as You Develop Patience - A Nighttime Prayer

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” – Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Lord, as long as we live on this earth, we face challenges, challenges that require patient endurance....

Mar 28, 20251 min readPatience Endurance Holy Spirit Prayer

God Chose You to Be Their Dad: 10 Messages for My Husband This Father’s Day

This Father’s Day, go beyond the gift. Point that father-figure in your life to the heavenly Father for strength in his calling as a dad.

Jun 12, 202512 min read

Chris Carpenter

'How to Train Your Dragon' Expands on Message of Finding Common Ground in Live-Action Reboot

Sometimes, despite centuries filled with tradition and rules that may or may not cooperate with modern society, we need to seek change for the ultimate good for ourselves but more importantly the people around us. For example:Telling time a via a mechanized clock rather than relying on the sun;Driving a...

Jun 13, 20255 min readHow to Train Your Dragon Dean DuBlois Hope Trust Common Ground

Karen Farris

Father's Homecoming

Late in my dad’s life, he shared the following homecoming story.He had been stationed at an Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan, and was finally returning home. Alongside him on the ship were his wife and their blond-haired toddler, who had been born overseas. Waiting among the throngs of people...

Jun 13, 20252 min read

Sharon Jaynes

Prayer Can Change a Person’s Heart

We had a lot of prayer happening in the comment section of last week’s devotion. So today, let me share a story about the power of prayer in one family’s life. Allan was a tough man. Raised by a single mom with five siblings, he learned how to scrap his way through life and climb to the top of humanity’s heap through sheer determination and grit. Read more...

Jun 10, 20255 min read

Shirley Brosius

A former teacher and director of Christian education, Shirley Brosius is the author of Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories about Women Who Made a Difference and coauthor of Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides. She and her husband Bill enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and watching “Jeopardy.” They have two married sons, five young-adult grandchildren and a daughter waiting in heaven. Shirley has memorized extensive passages of scripture including two books of the Bible: Philippians and Ruth. She is a member of Friends of the Heart, a speaking ministry that shares God’s love through messages and skits throughout the Eastern United States, although she no longer travels with the group.