When was the last time you were surprised? When something unexpected, or unanticipated happened in your life. Something happened recently in the Rice household took me by complete surprise. It seems like overnight, our little 2-year-old, Matthew, turned into a complete chatterbox. It is fascinating to watch children grow. They start off as these little things that are completely helpless, … Read More
Our Future is Secure: Daniel 8
How do you know you can trust someone? This is a very important question in this day and age- where promises are continually being made and broken. Which politicians do we trust, or is that even possible? What sources of news are reliable? Which brands do we feel will get the job done for us and our families? Who do … Read More
The End of the World: Daniel 7
What comes to your mind when the word ‘eschatology’ is mentioned? Some of you may be thinking “whaaat in the world is that?” Or you may have heard the term and you think you know what it means, but aren’t totally sure. Simply put, it is the study of the end times. Now cue the images of modern-day prophets … Read More
A Night with the Lions: Daniel 6
I went to the San Diego Zoo a few years ago with my family, and it was an amazing experience. My parents have been long-time supporters of the zoo, and we got to go behind the scenes and see some animals up close and personal. One experience that I’ll never forget was going to see the lions in their holding … Read More
Putting Pride in Perspective: Daniel 4
Have you ever heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? I first heard this saying several years back, and found it to be catchy. It actually makes a lot of sense. Do you know where the quote came from? An alcoholics anonymous group in the early 80s. Now … Read More
Faith in the Fire: Daniel 3
In October of 2016, American Presbyterian pastor Andrew Brunson and his wife were snatched up by Turkish authorities on charges of inciting rebellion against the state. They had been faithfully serving as leaders of a small congregation of about 24 for 20 years. In this time, they were active in sharing the Gospel and helping refugees, including the Kurds, who … Read More
Praise Under Pressure: Daniel 2
I remember vividly one morning when I was in college and I was walking up the sidewalk on my way to class. It was a clear, brisk Kansas morning, and I had my swimming parka on. My mind was flooded with things college students typically think about- all the things that I needed to do, balancing schoolwork and relationships, and … Read More
Faith Under Fire: Daniel 1
This last week we took a quick holiday getaway to visit family in Dallas. It was great to see them, but we were really eager to get home on Wednesday. The boys were starting school on Thursday, Camilla had her first pregnancy checkup, and I had a huge load of work to do and was eager to get back in … Read More
Our Everlasting Father: John 1:1-18
When we look at Isaiah 9:6, the titles of Jesus there are so familiar that it is really easy to gloss over them. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. They are poetic, elegant, truthful, and wonderful descriptions of who Jesus is, written more than 700 years before His birth. However, one of these terms can be exceedingly … Read More
Our Mighty God: John 10:22-42
Have you ever heard someone make the claim- that Jesus never said He was God? When we get into discussions with non-Christians about our faith- especially those that have done some research- at least gone to YouTube to find some arguments- they will often bring up this assertion: that Jesus Himself never claimed to be God. The argument goes something … Read More