DAILY READING Genesis 22:1-19 REFLECTION   The LORD Will Provide By Pam Mann Imagine yourself as young Isaac trekking up the steep slope with Father Abraham. You’ve got the firewood bundled on your back while Dad’s got the fire in its pot and his knife handy. Dad isn’t young. He’s not the kind of dad to run with you on a hunt, but your dad walks with God. In fact, no one you know loves the LORD God like he does. So, three days ago, when Abraham said that God wanted a sacrifice, you didn’t...

DAILY READING Colossians 1:21-23 REFLECTION   Before and After By Pam Mann I love before and after pics. Imagine the overgrown yard that gets a total makeover, making both landscaper and homeowner proud. What about the hoarder home where loving friends haul out the trash and free the overwhelmed occupant from years of poor decisions? Or, what about the abandoned, battered dresser on the roadside that a refinisher rescues to repair, refinish, and renew as a quality piece of furniture? Then,...

DAILY READING Philippians 3:7-11 REFLECTION   Seeing Things Differently By Pam Mann When Paul says he considers his gains as a loss (even as garbage), is he referring to your box of awards and trophies forgotten in the basement? Probably not, unless the box includes an Olympic gold medal. That’s an award that affects your social standing. Paul, in Phil 3:5-7, lists the gains which gave him status in his Jewish community. You might heft your high school trophies into a dumpster but your...