Reset with Bonnie Sala

Inventor Benjamin Franklin is credited with creating the soothing seat that's especially popular with mothers and babies. It's called the rocking chair. The chair rests on curved, usually wooden feet, that allow it to sway gently backward and forward in a calming motion.

The Bible book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems and prayers designed to be set to music. Do you know how commercial jingles or multiplication facts set to music stick in your head? Well, Psalms are meant to permeate our minds in the same way so that we carry them with us always.

The teen movie Mean Girls became a cult classic for its depiction of high school female cruelty and cliques. The movie obviously struck a chord: We women know that we can be horrible to one another, and we've all experienced some degree of treachery in navigating friendships.

Think about this:  If our greatest need was money, perhaps God would have sent someone to teach business. If it was of utmost importance that we understand the workings of the universe, maybe Jesus would have taught astrophysics. And, if we lacked information, God could inspire more gospels.

Most of the original ten commandments are phrased in the negative, "you shall not." But the negative is only half the picture. After reminding the Israelites to obey God's commands, Moses spoke these words still inscribed in many Jewish homes, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuterono...

Ever heard the story of King Hezekiah?  This Jewish king was a man of integrity who was righteous, was faithful to his family, honest in his work, and glorified the God who set him on the throne. But "After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded," the book of 2 Chronicles tells (32:1).

Have you seen a beach pebble before? The stones are completely smooth, rounded and refined by the constant churning of ocean waves. People who are humble have often experienced that same churning, which is a painful process.

Since ancient times, people have sensed that something stands between God and us. So, all sorts of sacrifices and rituals were invented to try and please God. The Bible says that what is standing in the way is called sin – something that every human does. In contrast, God is the only righteous being.

1:30, 2:30, 3:30…AM.  I watched the hours progress slowly on the glowing display of my bedside clock.  Why couldn't I shake this anxiety?  The worries in my life seemed to parade around my bed, larger, yes, so much larger, than they ever were in the light of day. In the quiet of night, life's burdens, fears and sorrows bubble up to the surface of our minds.  Scripture has many things to say about...

Painless growth and ultimate victory!  That's what the self-help empire promotes. Sure, we can gain wisdom from people who have struggled before us, but we often assume that, if we read the right things at the same rate at which we increase our productivity, we can perfect ourselves.  Next comes the inevitable burnout.

A mother once tried to keep her son from lying by saying, "Tell me the truth, John… in the presence of Jesus!" She was right in thinking that God knows whether we're being truthful, but her tactic of referencing Jesus as if He were a police officer may have resulted in ramifications she didn't intend.

The English word "polygamy" comes from two Greek words meaning "many marriages."  Someone who practices polygamy has more than one legal spouse at the same time. Polygamy was practiced in ancient times and is still practiced in some cultures today. Then there's polyamory, or "multiple loves," that's also present in many cultures, with the distinction that partners may not be legally bound to one a...

You've probably seen paintings of Jesus with children on His knee or in His arms. These images are inspired by a passage in several of the Gospels. In these passages, Jesus was indignant that His disciples were turning children away from "bothering" Him while He taught crowds (Mark 10:13-14). Jesus responded, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never ente...

Wherever you live in the world, there's a time of year where the sunshine of summer begins to lessen in its intensity, and you find yourself turning the lights on earlier and earlier.  Perhaps you've felt a little sad watching the impending change coming on, knowing that long nights are to come. The darkness has begun its descent and now you won't have time to walk or enjoy being outdoors much aft...

Have you ever felt that someone disliked you before they even met you? Perhaps, later, you find out that they heard a story about you that colored their perspective. Once you get to know one another, you realize whatever they heard was just plain false. You've been a victim of gossip.

"Among those whom I like or admire," wrote the poet W.H. Auden, "I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can:  all of them make me laugh." [1]   Laughter is truly a gift when shared with others.  In these days of serious stress, loss and uncertainty, the Bible reminds us in Proverbs 17 that "a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."...

Jesus promised His followers that His presence would always be with us. So why do we not always feel that presence?

In Seoul, Korea, Christians meet for prayer every morning of the year. Many churches open for communal prayer at 4 A.M. This practice began during the Korean war, when people recognized their need for the comfort of community.  They wanted to be with their siblings in Christ before going to work in dangerous fields and factories.

Do you pray more respectfully toward God than you speak to people? Or more emotionally? There's no right or wrong answer. The way we pray is very personal and in the moment. There simply aren't strict rules about how our prayers should always sound. 

Have you heard of video gamers who are known as "completionists"? These are the most thorough players, not satisfied until they've completed every quest and unlocked every riddle, even if not required to beat the game.

Have you ever hiked or walked through a valley?  Valleys can be wide-open places between mountains, but we mostly think of them as dark, narrow, and difficult. "Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, said the Billy Graham, "but fruit is grown in the valleys." [1] That fruit, or personal growth, forms when we turn toward God in our pain and then, to others.   [1] "Top 25 Valleys Quotes (of 842...

Dr. Paul Brand spent years with leprosy patients in India, helping them and researching their illness. There's a cure today, but leprosy caused severe disfiguration and was stigmatized for thousands of years. Dr. Brand noted that areas of the body affected by leprosy can't sense pain. As a result, people suffering from leprosy might accidentally burn or cut themselves, but their bodies couldn't al...

Are you a "plant parent?"  The hobby of growing houseplants is back!  We're finding fresh joy in nurturing living things, watching them grow and flourish.  Amazingly, the same is true of God.

For the second year in a row, our vacation started with a blown-out tire.  After an hour, a tow truck reached us on the side of the road, driven by Michael, a 23-year-old with a big smile and refreshing friendliness.  As we settled into the truck's air-conditioned cab, my husband asked Michael about the source of his great attitude, "That has to be from my grandma," he quickly responded. "Grandma,...

The Bible refers to God as a father and likens God to a mother. These metaphors are a way that we can relate the unknowable to something familiar. Yet many of us have painful or nonexistent relationships with our earthly parents. This can taint our association with God as a parent-figure.