Staff Trax

I’m not a fan of conflict. Thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with it much growing up; my extended family all got along and went out of their way to spend happy time together. My parents always “presented a united front” to us, so we never saw them argue, or really even disagree. They both knew several foreign languages, so perhaps some of the negotiation was in front of us, but we didn’t…

My parents were older when I was born. Therefore, only one grandparent was alive when I came into the world. I had the best grandmother in the world. She was an elderly woman. Small but mighty. She was grumpy and harsh sometimes, but that never affected me. She never spoiled me as a child. She could not afford to buy me things.

However, she made the not-so-fun things like naps incredibly…

(Jesus) said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones,…

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them
— Ecclesiastes 12:1 (KJV)

This reading has so many meanings and is definitely a reality check on how we all live our lives. Every day we wake up, get dressed, feed the kids, get ready for work, come home from work,…

I think we can all agree that youth and children’s programming across the board took a hit during the pandemic. And yet, I’m so thankful for Lorel Brown, Lisa Taylor, Charlotte Wallenburg, and all of the volunteers who have found creative ways to support our kids at Salem.

Next week’s musical camp is something I have missed very much in the last two summers, and I can’t wait to spend…

Have you ever noticed how some of the most powerful passages of scripture get right to the point?

“And Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13)

“Love one another.” (John 13:34)

“Come, follow me.” (Matthew 4:19)

Robert…

It seems like summer goes by fast once it officially starts. Of course, if you have lived in the Midwest for a while you know that summer weather usually happens long before summer begins. However, it is still over in a blink of an eye. It is because we anticipate it so much. There is so much to plan into 3-4 months before the weather starts to get cool again and summer activities like swimming…

Many of you might not even be aware, but this past Sunday we celebrated the first new federal holiday since President Reagan added Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in 1983. Until Juneteenth, there had been 10 federal holidays. The fact that the last two new federal holidays honor civil rights shows something about the state of our country today.

When I read the date that MLK’s birthday…

Sunday is Father’s Day.

This year will be one to remember for myself. My youngest and last to leave for college has affected my life so much in raising her from infant to a young adult.

These past years with all of her activities she has done for years, each one that ended came to an emotional end. Though I didn’t show it during the last game, last team banquet, and last awards,…

Have you ever heard someone say, “The answer is always Jesus?”

Jesus is the answer …

To our problem with sin.
To our separation from God.
To our guilt and our shame.
To our fear and worry.
To hopelessness and despair.
To what our life together as the body of Christ in the world can look like.

Yes,…