Reset with Bonnie Sala

Dr. Helen Roseveare was down at the brick kiln training a team of African workers to make bricks, when a nurse came and said she was needed for an emergency surgery.  Her hands were sore and bleeding from the brickwork, as she scrubbed up to deliver a baby by caesarian at the simple jungle hospital. A nurse poured antiseptic alcohol over her raw wounds and, anger welling up, she inwardly cried out...

Jonathan was always having fun with his coworkers in the shop where they sold shoes. But he was taken aback at how quickly his friends lied about why they needed the day off or why they were late to work. One day, Jonathan was late. When he finally arrived, he didn't make up a story, he just admitted that he'd been watching TV and lost track of time. He was reprimanded, but he set an example of tr...

Here is something we need to stop doing:  We must stop asking people, "When are you going to start a family?" when what we're really prying about is whether they hope to marry or have children. Married people without children are families and single people are part of families too. The family of Christ needs to be less concerned with matchmaking or hurrying baby making. Our highest priority is to...

"Nothing is more unforgiving than unforgiveness," writes Beth Moore.  It prematurely ages, makes us sick, sore, mean-spirited, and self-absorbed.  Makes us unpleasant to be around.  Our bodies turn into vessels of bottled-up bitterness, spewing on everybody." [1]   [1] Moore, Beth [bethmoore@lpm]. Unforgiveness. 3 August 2021, https://www.instagram.com/p/CSHTYDxneCw/.

Ada grew up singing songs about the golden streets of heaven and believing that she was earning jewels in a heavenly crown for her good deeds. Eventually, she discovered that just living an ethereal afterlife in heaven or a more prosperous life on earth, wasn't the reason that God wanted relationship with her.

An article titled, "Why We Need (Good) Church Stories," caught my eye.  "Interesting," I thought.  Simply say the word "church" today and you're likely to be met with negativity. Lindsey Schubert wrote, "When we experience care or reconciliation within our church, it's imperative we tell others about it." [1]   [1] Schubert, Lindsey. "We Need (good) Church Stories."  The Gospel Coalition . 26 July...

Have you heard the phrase "every now and then?"  Bible teacher Beth Moore uses it to describe the way that the here and now in the life of a follower of Jesus is inextricably linked to then --the future that is to come.  We so often are mired in what the Bible book of Romans refers to as our "present sufferings". (Romans 8:18) Now, we experience loss, chronic illness, injustice and betrayal; our s...

Have you ever thought that having faith just doesn't really make sense?  If so, you're not alone.  The Bible itself contains stories of people whose faith directed them to do seemingly illogical things.

Many organizations have formed to fight political, economic, and social injustice.  These are noble causes. Yet humans, in their fervor, succumb to a practice called "gatekeeping." Gatekeeping occurs when we tell people, "If you're interested in our cause, you need to agree 100% with the way we fight for the cause." Have you ever thought, "I share your concern, but I can't support your methods"? 

Jesus warned us not to judge one another unless we wish to be judged ourselves. He explained that as we judge others, we've failed to see our own sin. Scripture says that some people try to correct others while acting innocent, but inwardly they are like ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15-20).

Someone once said that knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is not putting them in a fruit salad!  The difference between knowledge and understanding is what the Bible calls wisdom.

If we are honest, we'll admit that it can be incredibly hard to reconcile the goodness of God, with the darkness of evil that comes straight from the pit of hell.  Unbeknownst to her, Rayna's child was sexually abused. She sadly admits, "I lost a lot of faith when it all came out." 

"When God shuts one door," Don Quixote says in The Man of La Mancha , "He opens another." Or, some have said, "When God closes a door, He opens a window."  That's not actually in the Bible although the book of Proverbs says that when a person lives his life in alignment with God's ways, God will direct His path (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

We all have good days and bad days.  But when someone you love is suffering with chronic illness, bad days take on a whole new meaning.  We often don't know what to do or say.

Isobel Kuhn was a truly intrepid woman.  Born in 1901, she was one of a generation of Christian missionaries who seemed to know no sacrifice too great to bring hope in Jesus to the most remote areas of the world.  Kuhn went with her husband, John, to northeastern China to reach the Lisu people, although much of the time Isobel labored alone with her young son in a mountainous village.

Have you ever imagined what you would ask for if you could have three wishes that would be granted?

The prominent psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger was convinced that the importance of hope lies in its connection to human survival. Hospital chaplains agree that as long a person has hope that they will live, they can endure great amounts of suffering. Sometimes we associate hope with wishes, which have a light quality to them. But hope is more guttural, like gritting your teeth. It provides the ine...

Debbie and I had a business meeting planned over coffee. I had my agenda in mind, my materials with me when, not a few moments into our conversation, I realized what the real purpose of our meeting was to be.  "My twin sister just committed suicide," she said.  Suddenly, everything changed. Nothing mattered more to me in that moment than listening to my colleague.  I listened and prayed with her. ...

My dad used to tell a story of a woman who was bitten by a dog suspected of having rabies.  She was rushed to a hospital where she was treated and left waiting in a room until it could be determined whether or not the dog had rabies.   A young doctor passing by the room noticed that the woman was muttering to herself, visibly shaken by the trauma of what had happened.  He also noticed that she was...

You might hear a parent describe their child by saying something like, "He's always been sneaky; don't believe anything he says."  One pitfall of labeling both others and ourselves is that labels tend to enforce the behavior they identify.  A child who is consistently called a liar will begin to think of himself as a liar.

The next time I'm feeling frustrated with myself, not living up to my expectations for my day or for my life , please read me the poem, Grace , by Morgan Harper Nichols.  She writes:               You have never shamed the waves             for not arriving on the ocean shore             any sooner than they were meant to               and you have never looked above you             to guilt the c...

Jason met an old friend for coffee.  When the friend asked Jason what his current life goals were, he thought for a while and said, "I've been able to try a lot of things, and I no longer feel like I'm missing out. I'm secure where I'm at." But then he thought back to all the painful circumstances that had actually moved him to this place, the catalysts of his present character.

As children, we look forward to adulthood. I remember dreaming about my house, school, a career, my spouse, and children. I never considered how much energy and sometimes heartache that would go into forming and maintaining relationships and quality friendships in adulthood.

Whatever age you are, or season of life you are in, it's easy to feel that you're behind.  You're not married, your career has never materialized, you should have accomplished this and this and this, by now…

Jesus came to Earth for a purpose. He said that His purpose was to do God's will and finish God's work. That required an inner life of communion with God.  As disciples of Jesus, this is also our objective. To do this, we need to know God personally, for example through prayer, which we should think of as "an inner dialogue of trust," something relational rather than transactional. [1]     [1] Roh...