by Don Freeman | Aug 15, 2026 | Devotional
“Good morning, Church!” said no one ever when I was young. Church was a noun, as in ‘the building.’ It was where you went on Sunday. ‘The church is at the corner of 5th and Walnut.’ It was also an adjective, as in, you had a church wedding. You had a church...
by Deanna Vandebrake | Aug 13, 2026 | Devotional
Isaiah 58 “When people ask me stupid questions it is my legal obligation to give a sarcastic remark.” The people of Israel during the time of the prophet Isaiah were asking the Lord some pretty stupid questions. If you heard that there was no such...
by Don Freeman | Aug 11, 2026 | Devotional
It’s such a touching sight, a little 4-year-old boy holding a white satin pillow with lace edging, with two bands of gold atop. He advances down the aisle in his suit and bowtie, bearing the serious demeanor of someone on a most important mission. Everyone smiling,...
by Don Freeman | Aug 8, 2026 | Devotional
As college tuitions continue to rise, (in the US) more and more parents, grandparents, and even close relatives, are choosing to open a college fund bank account for the children in their lives. (A very creative Vineyard pastor, with 7 children, kept a gumball...
by Deanna Vandebrake | Aug 6, 2026 | Devotional
Living in Alaska, we were driving to a famous ski resort and enroute tons of people had pulled over the side of the road. They had empty jugs and water bottles . The second time we decided we wanted in on whatever the hype was. There was this pvc pipe that extended...
by Don Freeman | Aug 4, 2026 | Devotional
Planning a surprise birthday party requires lots of planning, swearing guests to secrecy, a sizeable amount of subterfuge (little white lies for cover), arranging the venue, the food, the decorations, the timing, phew! When it comes off without a hitch, it is so...
by Don Freeman | Aug 1, 2026 | Devotional
I was privileged to be raised by, in addition to my parents, our church family. So tight as a family that, when a teenager, I was acting, well, like a teenager, several of the older ladies wouldn’t hesitate to remind me that, as one-time nursery workers, they had...
by Don Freeman | Jul 30, 2026 | Devotional
Be prepared.’ That’s the scouting motto both in the US and in Canada. That two-word encouragement, in its brevity, covers a multitude of situations one may encounter. In another context, those words could sound like a warning like ‘watch out,’ ‘keep your eyes open,’...
by Don Freeman | Jul 28, 2026 | Devotional
It’s so tempting, when reading the Bible, hearing a sermon, or just belonging to a church, to picture all things of God as ancient history, precious relics, heartwarming stories, and beautiful music – with fellowship dinners thrown in. And maybe the more formalized...
by Don Freeman | Jul 25, 2026 | Devotional
Think of two lines, one beneath the other. The top one is architect straight, spot on. The lower one resembles a string of Christmas lights as they are taken out of the box each year, once again frustratingly knotted, kinked, and twisted. The first shows God’s pattern...
