It’s interesting to me that the prophet Jeremiah must have been a young man when God called him to be his spokesman. This was not a call Jeremiah wanted. In fact, he said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” God’s response was gentle and reassuring. Essentially, he said: – “You can speak to anyone, no matter the age.” – “I will give you the words to say.” – “Don’t be afraid of anyone–I will be with you and will protect you.” Perhaps the

I was beginning to shake. It was cold lying on that gurney in the bowels of the Reno hospital surgical facility. Within minutes I was headed for back surgery, and while my husband, Craig, was with me, fear of what could happen settled over me like icy winter frost. “Would you like a warm blanket?” I nodded as the nurse wrapped me in warmth. But inside, I was still a bundle of nerves. I closed my eyes and prayed. And then I heard, “There you are.” It was Pastor Ron. Our pastor

Where are your comfort zone places? The same meal at the same restaurant? The same doctor? The same daily routines? I like my comfort zones. You know what to expect, right? However, sometimes those zones aren’t really places of comfort. Your comfort foods might actually begin to make you feel uncomfortable as you gain weight and begin to have health problems. A job might become unbearable or simply unchallenging. A relationship might become toxic . . . and perhaps it always w

I never felt special. I wasn’t the smartest kid in the class–there were always others smarter than I. I wasn’t the most athletic. The one swim contest I entered I got third . . . out of three. I also never thought I was attractive. Enough said. To matter in this world, I took on leadership roles to earn others’ respect. In my senior year in high school I ran for and won SIX offices, including senior class secretary (of a class of 406) and newspaper editor. I thought I’d make