“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (more…)

Amy George was born in the Ukraine at the outbreak of World War II. While she was still an infant, her father was taken away by the KGB never to return home. In 1943 little Amy and her mother were detained by Hitler’s troops and sent to a forced labor camp in Fallerslaben, Germany. In the midst of enemies, Amy and her family experienced God’s faithfulness and kindness, even through strangers. We pick up her story within a Hitler Youth Camp.

Most days, I either sat on the steps in front of Mother’s workplace or wandered around wherever I wanted to investigate. But, I always made it back in time to eat with her. It was critical to show up for mealtimes because there was no other source of food. Yet, the food was so different from what I’d been used to, I found it impossible to eat everything I was served. (more…)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1

ALL OF US CARRY SCARS FROM THE PAST. Many of us remember painful childhood experiences only too vividly.

Just think of being kids on a school playground. Remember how it felt to be the last one picked for the team? Or what about the nicknames: Porky, Four-eyes, Pizza-face? Or the ethnic slurs aimed like verbal assaults? Even labels from well-meaning adults: “He’s a slow learner.” Or “What can you expect when you consider her home life?” Or “Pretty good for a girl [boy]!” (more…)

Jean’s Story
The most forceful, life-changing power in existence is the message of God’s unconditional love and acceptance in Jesus Christ. An unforgettable example of this is the story of Jean, a woman who had struggled all of her adult life.

Married to a career military man driven by ambition, Jean lived in many parts of the world. (more…)

This month, People to People asked one of our staff members, Richard Peifer, to share his reflections and those of his wife, Lois, as their last child graduates from high school and prepares to leave for college this fall.

I find myself crying a little more these days. Not big cries. Those will come later. It’s mostly just private moments with a lump in my throat and tears welling up when the realization hits me that he’s leaving – my “baby boy” (who is almost as tall as I am, and faster, and stronger) is about to head off to college.

It’s not that I didn’t feel this way when my daughter left five years ago. But, somehow, it is different this time. He’s my son, and we share things that I didn’t share with her. Mostly, though, it’s because he’ll be the last to leave home. (more…)

My son, Bobby, had just graduated from college and was involved in the hard process of finding that first job. I invited him to get together for breakfast to see if I could offer some encouragement and advice. We had a long, profitable discussion about work, the business world, and interviewing. As our conversation was winding down, Bobby said, “Dad, thanks a lot for your time.”

“You know,” he continued, “one thing I’ve always known is that you love me. I’ve never doubted it. You’ve shown me that in all kinds of ways.” I was naturally pleased to hear that, but somehow, it didn’t seem complete. I pondered for a few seconds, and then God seemed to put a new thought in my mind. (more…)

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

The human soul is like a wonderfully built grand piano, a magnificent instrument. However, the quality of the music that comes from it is totally dependent upon who’s at the keyboard. If a master concert pianist is at the keys, you’ll be carried along in rapture from the beautiful music. But let a gorilla have a shot at that piano, and the result will be chaotic noise and damage to the instrument. (more…)

Amy George was born in the Ukraine at the outbreak of World War II. As an infant, her father had been taken away by the KGB, never to return home. In 1943 little Amy and her mother were detained by Hitler’s troops and sent to a forced labor camp in Fallerslaben, Germany. This true story is excerpted from her book, “Goodbye is Not Forever”. We pick up her story when she and her mother have left the cattle car which had carried them to the processing station.

In the line ahead of us, I heard a teenage girl cry in alarm. A uniformed woman had taken shears and shaved the girl’s head. I clutched my head, as if by the force of my feeble hands I might be able to save my own hair. Soon there were others like that girl, stumbling around naked, with shaved heads, dazed and crying uncontrollably. (more…)