Author: Andrew Bors (Andrew Bors)

By Beth Ann Olesen “Remember when Christmas used to be fun?” I lamented to my husband this weekend as I watched my daughter tick down another day on the countdown calendar and glanced at my mounting to-do list. It’s not just the shorter time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. It’s the amount of...

By Ward Shope The turkey is devoured, Thanksgiving is over. The tidbits of dinner are now inside Rover. The desserts linger on for midnight snackers, nudging scales up for many weight trackers. To what shall we turn from our contented sighs, From our clever conversation and our family goodbyes? Are Black Friday shopping and cyber-Monday...

By Ward Shope 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Phil 4:6-7) I don’t usually think of myself as an anxious person, but recently there...

By Maureen Fox During my week of serving with Samaritan’s Purse in Panama City, I learned the secret of success.  This mission experience was unique for me as I participated and watched a team of “unskilled” volunteers repair 5 rooms in a family’s home in 3 days.  In this home, we sanded walls and then...

By Beth Ann Olesen In Women’s Bible Study last week, we studied Philippians 2:12-18. Here is a link to the text if you are interested. In verse 12, Paul commands the Church of Philippi to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” I was struck by the wording here. And I want to state...

By Ward Shope 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” -Romans 11:33-34 What is the Lord doing? I don’t know.  Honestly, I am completely without a clue –...

By Maddie A couple weekends ago, I had the privilege of going on the annual Jr. High Fall Retreat at Streamside Camp in Stroudsburg, PA. This year’s trip was unique for me for a couple reasons. For one, this was my first year as an eighth-grader and it was fun to be on the leadership...

By Ward Shope When our kids were very young, Debbie and I began to make an annual pilgrimage to Hershey Park.  At first it was all just innocent fun: a free ride in Chocolate World, a trip to the picnic tables for lunch, and then back to Chocolate World to get a second piece of...

By Ward Shope Recently, I was in a New Life staff meeting where we were discussing what discipleship should look like at New Life.  Somewhere in the discussion, someone (it was probably me) used the term “covenant”.  At least one staff member expressed how this term left a sour taste in their mouth.  “Covenant” seemed...

By Beth Ann Olesen If you have read any of my blog posts, you know I love structure and routine. And nothing makes this organization-loving heart happier than the start of a new school year. Color-coded weekly calendars. Morning routine charts. Homework stations. I’m getting giddy just typing about them. (Side note – for those...

By Nancy Unks Nairobi, Kenya is a modern metropolis—fast-paced, full of youth on cell phones, multiple languages, new construction, Ubers, and traffic—lots of traffic. Thanks to British colonial influence, cars drive on the left side of the road, major intersections are roundabouts (traffic circles).   Yet amid the hustle, Kenyans pause for tea at 10:00 and...