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Our family loves summer. Our three kids enjoy camping, swimming, and the slower afternoons where we can just simply be a family. Recently, we worked

God continues to work through the 34 churches that make up the NAB Eastern Association.  Of those churches, seven are Hispanic (including two church plants),

When you’re an adult, you get very used to answering the question “so, what do you do?” When you’re a kid, you have to deal

Dallas Willard said, “You are a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God, which means you were not made to

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there

One thing that is on many people’s minds at this time of the year is New Year’s resolutions. According to a recent Forbes study, 37%

Take a moment and consider: time is part of creation. Did you ever realize that? God’s eternality means that before He said “let there be

As I sit here and think about my years at Church Investors Fund, the memories begin to flood in. It all started for me during

As the end of the year quickly approaches, I find myself in a unique transitional period. Balancing work and school while preparing to start my

In his epistle to the Philippians, Apostle Paul writes, “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to

My grandmother once, at a family get-together, pulled me aside and asked,    “Tell me, who are you?”    “Me? I’m Vadim,” I responded.  “You’re

I have been married for over 35 years, and we have never been very good at having “date nights.” It’s not that we didn’t understand

In the second half of WWII, the US Marines landed in Melanesia, a rather primitive part of the world at that time, to set up

As my wife and I were making plans for this upcoming Labor Day weekend, we were both amazed by how quickly this year has flown

My youngest son recently turned 16. Like many of his peers—but unlike me when I was his age—he wasn’t ready to take his driver’s test

There are several ways we can grow in our faith. What comes to mind is spending more time in the Bible, daily devotions, prayer, being

As humans, we all share a profound longing for love. This innate desire to love and be loved is a fundamental part of our existence.

In this modern day, most people are living a fast-paced life that usually leaves very little time for reflection. This often leaves people lacking purpose

I think most of us have watched as an older loved one deteriorated in old age. We have seen death slowly close in around them.

I recently had the opportunity to embark on my first trip to Europe, visiting the iconic cities of London, Paris, and Rome. It was a

Self-deception is one of the defining features of sin. We convince ourselves that everything is alright, but in reality, we struggle with sin, rebellion, selfishness,

Recently, my social media feed was flooded with posts celebrating National Siblings Day. As I scrolled through Facebook and Instagram, I saw message after message

Some of the wisest words I have ever read are in the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9: “What has been is what will be, and what

This year seems to be a year of milestones. Nora and I are celebrating 35 years of marriage, Church Investors Fund is celebrating 50 years

Apprenticeships have long been a proven way to transfer knowledge to the next generation. For most of human history, there was but one way to

In 1988, singer Bobby McFerrin topped the Billboard pop music charts with his Grammy-winning a cappella song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” (If you know the

As we rang in the New Year, it came time for us to put away our growing inventory of Christmas ornaments and decorations to clear

Like many others, I always enjoy visiting the primate exhibit whenever I go to the zoo. We find something about their playfulness and curiosity somewhat

When someone starts ministerial work one of the immediate questions they are presented with is if they should opt out of social security or not.

The issue of gender has been in the news quite a bit lately. It has drawn a wide swath across the landscape, from the idea

What do you remember about your elementary school? Maybe the games you played at recess? Your favorite teacher? The hated multiplication table speed drills? The

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. In Christian churches throughout the world, the preparations are already well underway for

In ministry work, it’s a common practice for pastors and other qualified ministers to opt out of Social Security. It’s a way to have more

I don’t know if you have ever had the chance to look at an ancient map that shows the outline of the New World before

All throughout our lives it seems like we’re always looking toward the future. Since I was young, I have always imagined what life would be

I need to be disciplined. The world around us is forming habits in our lives – and not necessarily good ones. As Christians, we are

One of the harder things in life is to do long-term planning. Whether for retirement, business transitions, or family plans, taking time out of your

I recently watched a video on investing that talked about the importance of timing when it comes to retirement. What the video said that was

Have you been feeling defeated lately from the direction that our culture is taking today with the precipitating drop in moral values? As it turns

We hadn’t been back to Chicago to visit family in quite a few years. There always seemed to be a reason we couldn’t make it

During a recent Sunday service, we heard a message about passing our faith down to younger generations and the importance of doing so. The message

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of the number of self-help books I find every time I go to the bookstore.

Since 2020 a lot has changed in the world. One of the things that seems to be a change for the worse is the stress

When my kids were growing up, there were times when they would get a little rambunctious or cranky, and they just needed a little Quiet