We moved to Houston with our son Nathan a year and a half ago from Queens, NY.  When we started looking for a church to attend we were looking for a place of belonging, but more importantly, we were looking for a place we could cultivate a deeper connection with our faith.  We both came from backgrounds that left us stagnant and longing for more spiritually.  With a young child, we wanted him to grow in a community of faith and worship. What we found far surpassed what we had hoped for.  The immediate sense of belonging and [...]

PM Pals was a life saver for my family. Since our son's diagnosis of autism at the age of two we have endeavored to relentlessly attack his disability with multiple therapies, diets, supplements and specialized private academic settings. All of which has taken a financial and emotional toll on our marriage. I don't know where my husband and I would be if we didn't have PM Pals. Some of the sweetest dates we have had in the last decade were Friday nights when our children were safely taken care of at PM Pals. 1:1 attention for our children is not typical; [...]

I had the day off on Monday, and as the wild storm blew in I snuggled my covers over me and watched the trees blow like crazy in the backyard. I knew that I wanted to try out the fancy new exercise bike, and make progress on some reading, but decided to have a second cup of coffee and stay between the sheets instead. It was luxurious time to rest and recharge. Another hour went by and I had still not budged. As much I wanted to get a work-out in and dive into my reading, I stayed [...]

by Meredith Mohr The words are written on a colorful piece of paper stuck to my bathroom mirror, where I read them every day. “It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.” These are wise words by Elisabeth Elliot—a missionary, a firm but gentle teacher, a true Jesus woman, and after I’ve read and re-read her books, a real friend. With an old year quietly falling in line behind a new year, it’s a habit to drift towards thoughts of [...]

by Laurie Noteboom God is with us – Emmanuel. Last night we celebrated the arrival of Emmanuel, the coming of God to earth in the form of an innocent child. God’s re-gifted presence. A baby who grew into a man who would teach, heal and love our world. God’s re-gifted presence. A promise, spoken by this man, that even after his death on a Friday, he would remain Emmanuel. He would be with us always. God’s re-gifted presence. Obedience to a direction, given to the most loyal disciple, that a church be built so God’s word could spread. [...]

by Sid Davis As I sat at the table on my annual January study trip to New York earlier this year, I learned the woman seated next to me was, among other things, an Irish fiddler. The power of that folk music has always moved me, and when combined with sacred text, it becomes even more of a force. Despite today’s festival being 11 months away, that’s all I needed for wheels to turn. What if the opening was centered around the art of fiddling? (How lucky could we be to find that Denise Tarrant, our concertmaster of [...]

by Suzi Pitts I’ve spent time behind the line at Kanakuk summer camp waiting to see our son after 26 days at camp. He’d never been away from us for anything close to a month and I am trying to be cool as I wait for the counselors to drop the rope and allow our entrance. How I have been waiting for this moment. We chat distractedly with the other parents, and finally, they drop the rope. We all walk in, then fast walk, and eventually stop caring about being cool and jog towards our kid. The hugs [...]