Skip to main content

Staff Trax

Grateful List

Thanksgiving is my favorite. No extra performances or gifts, just food, family, friends, and focusing on being thankful. Here’s my grateful list:

Happy, healthy kids: Each of my kids started a new level of school this year. In the years between toddlers and teenagers, the question is always, “What do I do to help this kid become a nice human?” As they grow, their influences…

House of Worship

Worshipping in church used to be the most common place to express our glory to God. When we mentioned church, we meant that on Sunday we would get in the car and go to church. If we were lucky enough to live close by, we would walk to worship.

This changed suddenly when the pandemic hit. People began worshipping from home to stay safe. However, there was always something missing from watching…

Keep the Faith

(Jesus said) “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

“But…

How to Stand Strong in an Ever-Changing World

Have you ever tried walking when it’s so windy out? It’s hard to keep your balance, much less go in a straight line.

There are many challenges each of us go through each day. These challenges are not just how bad traffic is or work is busy, but it’s also personal challenges we go through each day.

As long as you remember what you’ve gone through before in your life that…

Everyday Saints

On Sunday, Nov. 6, we will once again gather to celebrate All Saints Day. During the worship service we will call out by name Salem’s mission partners who have died during the year and give thanks to God for the newly baptized.

On All Saints Day we hold in our hearts all those who have gone before us: grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, children, relatives, and friends. It is…

How Do You Describe Your Faith?

I have a dear friend who didn’t grow up in the church and decided to read the Bible to figure out his faith. I regret not suggesting he start with the New Testament and then go back to the Old — he got so bogged down by all of the laws and stories of God’s wrath that he never got to the stories of Jesus and God’s love and mercy. Much later we both went through a very difficult time, and…

Don’t Be Discouraged

There are many times that we go through challenges in our lives. We pray for guidance and to help us through those times. But is that enough?

I start my morning with prayer, giving thanks for what I have and what God helps me with. I then pray for my family and loved ones, and end with a prayer for myself. The prayer I ask is for guidance, protection, and many other personal thoughts. It’s…

Columbus Day in Kansas

While this coming Monday is the federal holiday known as Columbus Day (also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in some states), did you know that the state of Kansas celebrates neither?

In case you have forgotten what you learned in history class, Christopher Columbus was a European explorer who set sail in August 1492 (remember the old rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…”?)…

Prayer Time

Do you pray at a specific time during the day? Some people pray many times throughout the day, and others specify a certain time to pray.

Morning Prayers: People who pray in the morning feel good about starting their day off right. They look at prayer as a way to navigate their daily priorities. They ask God to help them manage their actions and speech. They may ask God for strength to handle…

Making Meaning with Jesus

Christianity continues to struggle with a spiritual identity crisis. Recently, the Pew Research Center reported that the number of Christians in the United States is expected to decrease to between 35% and 54% of the population by 2070. At the same time, people who identify as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” could rise to somewhere between 34% and 52% of the population.

While…

  • First
  • <<
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • >>
  • Last