HEALING IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDY
byWednesday is the 23nd anniversary of 9/11/2001. I was 23 when I was at ground zero on that day. I must say there…
Serving
GIFTED to SERVE providing practical help both physically and spiritually
GRACE AND FREEDOM DURING RAMADAN
byPlease pray for Muslims to meet Jesus during Ramadan. Ramadan started 4 weeks ago on March 10 and it ends this Tuesday evening…
RAMADAN: AN OPEN DOOR AND A SWEET REMINDER
byRamadan starts tonight, March 10 and ends in 4 weeks on the evening of April 9. It is the month of the Islamic…
A YEAR COMPLETE
byAnother year completed! Another 365 days filled with the all-embracing moments of what truly makes a year complete. From the fresh scent of…
FINDING OUR MISSION
bySomething happened … we went from a very comfortable-typical American-Christian-homeschool (Classical Conversations)-boating-dirt biking-mountain biking-camping type family to something different. We went from living…
THE HOSPITABLE ENTHUSIAST
byI met Matt shortly after I moved to Ventura, California. A friend of mine was staying in his spare bedroom for a month…
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT RUN
byAfter 16 years pastoring a church in England, Belinda and I never imagined we would wake-up one day in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, a…
GOD PREPARES US
byFor we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians…
A BOY, A DAD AND A BOAT
byWe all sail on the seas of life. Similar to that of the vast ocean, which can be serene, turbulent, unpredictable, or an…
HERE’S HOPING…
byWe have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Let me tell you about the hope of…
WORSHIP IN THE WRECKAGE
byMy hand was strumming with vigorous intensity, my voice resounding with a passionate plea to experience God, that familiar feeling came over me…
THE BEAUTY AND PAIN OF KINSHIP
byFor the beginning of this Fruitful Story, you may want to first read Teresa Ku-Borden’s LIVING IN GETHSEMANE This second Fruitful story by Teresa is excerpted…
WHEN PERSECUTION GETS PERSONAL
byWe’ve lived under some “real” persecution. When I think of some of the situations my husband and I have lived through over the…
WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOTHERS
byNext Sunday is a day in the USA designated to celebrate the people who carry us into the world: our mothers. My mother is…
WITH HEARTS THAT LEAN TOWARD AFRICA
byCan you believe we’re here and doing this? During the past five years, my husband David and I have looked at each other often…
NOURISHED BY TRUTH
byEvery time we meet on this middle eastern university campus, we stop at the kiosk for three brimming paper cups of sweet mint…
COME TO THE TABLE
byTables… We have them in our homes, schools, work places. We fight to get a good space at one in a cafe and we…
THE EXERCISE OF EMPATHY
by“Move along, sister!” the police officer was firmly instructing me. I was standing in front of a scene I’d only ever heard about…
MOMENT OF JOY
byIt was in a small auditorium filled with second year college students that I met the little boy named Charlie who would change…
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS NOW?
byWhat are your plans now? This question greets me nearly every day. It’s not a bad question at all. In fact, it is…
WHEN LITTLE STEPS ARE GREATER THAN LEAPS
byIt was just over a year ago now that my husband and I cut our long-term overseas mission plans short to move back…
MY NAME IS ESTHER
byI’m learning the English language from The Internet, so I will do my best to tell you my story. We also learn English…
IT’S NOT CERTAIN YET
byI’ve always liked to know what to expect. To know what’s coming next. I think I was born that way. Following a schedule…
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR WORLD FALLS APART?
byIn 1980, Gerard Long had a dramatic encounter with God. Gerard and Jeannie married in 1981 and both felt called to serve in…
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME
byMuslims… What pictures come to mind when you hear that word? Angry looking men with long beards Women whose faces cannot be seen…
OVERWHELMED BY THE UNGRATEFUL
byIt seems like such a small thing, yet it can cause great discouragement. I know I’m not the first to experience it, but…
YOU WERE ALWAYS MY FIRST LOVE
byWhen I was young, my father would place me on his shoulders and encourage me to “reach for the trees!” His unconditional love…
MY MOTHER’S DREAMS
byMy mother breathes adventure. Not the thrill-seeking kind of adventures you would find in someone like Bear Grylls as he undertakes the cliffs of…
HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE DESERT
byEvery heart is different, and the path that leads each heart to the gospel is different. Only God knows the path that will…
THE ART OF BEING BUSY
byBusy has become the new fine. Casually ask someone how they’re doing today, and on autopilot, they might say they’re fine—but chances are…
CHOOSING JOY WHEN LIVING IN DISAPPOINTMENT
byThis morning I realised that it’s been 10 years to the day since I crammed as much stuff as I could into a…
THE CURE FOR A TEPID LIFE
byI know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you…
MY PILGRIMAGE
bySome would call the Camino torture. Some would euphemize it to a nice walk. Some, like me, would call it meditation—just really really…
HOW MOVING ACROSS THE WORLD GAVE ME A BIGGER HEART FOR MY OWN CITY
byI have always been a firm believer that you don’t need to move across the world to make a difference in this world….
SIMPLE OFFERINGS OF LOVE
byI’ve been a long time prayer intercessor for the needs of those I’ve encountered at my church and for those I’ve interacted with throughout my life. Recently…
REMEMBER THOSE IN PRISON (HEBREWS 13:3)
byFor over 40 years I have had the joy of serving as a Family Life Pastor in several churches. My responsibilities were to model…
FIND YOUR MISSION, CHANGE THE WORLD
by“It’s already Monday morning…hard to believe we have only three days left. Difficult to sort through our thoughts as it’s all pretty intense,…
IT’S IN THE DETAILS
byYesterday, I went to a friend’s house for a concert they were hosting in their backyard. About 50 of us had gathered together,…
LIVING IN GETHSEMANE
byLast weekend, I snapped a photo of my 15-month-old son sitting on my husband’s shoulders, as we walked leisurely on the pier of…
AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE
byIn the field of special education, students with disabilities are often referred to as children with exceptional needs. As I reflect on the…
GOD, THE MECHANIC
byMy engine light is on again. And a little screwdriver icon I’ve never seen before. The last time it came on, I let…
THE ACT OF SHOWING UP FOR EACH OTHER
byI like watching people “people watch”. I guess you could call me a people watcher of people watchers. People reuniting with full force…
RESILIENCE IS KNOWING HOW TO REJOICE, DESPITE THE HARDSHIPS OF LIFE
bySwinging open my creaky kitchen cabinet doors, I began loading up our mismatched plates. Above the noise of ceramic clanging together, I turned…
God’s Grace allows us to Speak Hope and Truth into the Dark Places
byA year ago I bought a ’93 Chevy conversion van off Craigslist. The deal went down in a somewhat sketchy, yet true-to-form, parking…
We Have an Abundant Well of Love to Draw From (Valentine’s Day)
byWelcome to Fruitful–we love practical ideas about how to live our gifts with intentionality. I have the privilege of watching three young…
Built for Community: 5 Ways to Know Your Town
byI love to travel. I love to visit cities unknown to me and walk around—looking up at the architecture and around at the…
LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF THE HOMELESS
byThere’s a place in downtown Los Angeles that poses as a park to the everyday passer-by. In the “winter” time (this is southern…
Gifted to Serve
byWhen you are gifted to serve it simply means that you’re driven and motivated by the idea of helping others; it can even…