In this week’s chapters from our companion book, The Shepherd’s Wife, Pheodora learns that her plan to sell her goats for the Festival of Atonement will not work. The amount of money she will receive is not enough to cover her husband’s debt. As readers, we know that...
In this week's chapters from our companion book, The Shepherd's Wife, Pheodora discovers the Romans executed her brother, Yeshua, on a cross.. But there’s more. Three days later, His followers discovered that the tomb where her brother was buried was empty and...
If you’re like most parents, you want everyone in your family to lead happy and healthy lives. But too often, maintaining optimal health can feel like an overwhelming task. How can a busy family like yours find the time to ensure everyone eats well, exercises often,...
In this week’s chapters from our companion book, The Shepherds Wife, Pheodora reflects on a lifelong struggle with low self-esteem. While she believes God takes care of important people and situations, she is not so sure that God has time to worry about a shepherd’s...
One of life’s more disappointing moments is when we bite into something that looks scrumptious only to discover that the taste doesn’t match the presentation. Often, our disappointment may be based on prior experience and less on the merit of whatever we’re biting...
I still remember the hours following the tragedy at the Boston Marathon in 2013. Many of us in Flint knew some of the runners and anxiously awaited the news that our colleagues were unharmed. Three people, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed, and hundreds...
Discernment is a twenty-five-cent word that implies a process that tries to determine God's preference regarding a particular situation in the pursuit of better decisions. In our tradition, discernment involves phrases like prayerful consideration and the Holy...
Cyndi and I are dealing with a rather large infestation of poison ivy. Both of us are allergic and risk serious side effects if we allow one of the plants to come in contact with our skin. However, we hope to put a fence through the middle of a large patch. My...
In this week's chapters of The Shepherd's Wife, Pheodora learns from her brother James that her husband is in prison. Last week we learned that Chiram was stopped by a tax collector and borrowed the one denarius assessed. On his way to Caesarea to purchase goats,...
Being your own health advocate is fast becoming a necessity. People often report healthcare professionals not taking their concerns seriously enough, or even dismissing them outright. However, by advocating for your own health, you can take responsibility for your...