Duncan Perry

I remember the bitter taste flooding my mouth as I resisted the metal spoon that was moving in my direction.

A few weeks ago, on a chilly October Saturday, I sat down to eat dinner with a table of new friends. The four of us opted for patio seating so we could enjoy the evening air and live music. Dinner and dialogue were smooth. Things were going well. Then came the moment that can potentially ruin a meal together. The server floated in our direction and asked, “Will all this be together or separate?” Remembering my days in the food service industry, we offered the word every server wants to hear with a collective, “together.”

One of the great joys of full-time ministry is living life with people. I am regularly reminded of the great gift and calling that it is to walk with the people the Lord has given me as they face the daily delights, distractions, and dangers of this life. In my short time as a pastor, I have shepherded people through diagnoses, disease, and death. We have toiled in prayer for the unrepentant, unregenerate, and unemployed. I have witnessed a dear friend receive the highest achievement in his field, and watched as others struggle to keep a full-time job. In all these things, God in His providence has allowed me the immense privilege of being present. And, often unnoticed, the Lord graces us with a miracle.

As the sun sets on the golden hour of autumn and we look ahead into the long dark of winter, we pause to reflect and remember with thankfulness at this time each year. Thanksgiving Day, often viewed as an overlooked Thursday between Halloween and Christmas, marks a monumental moment on our calendars. It is a day set aside for gathering in gratitude for the gifts that we enjoy. Instead, if you are like me, we become so overwhelmed with the whirl of the holiday season that we lose sight of the moment altogether. Rather than remembering, we forget. Instead of fostering gratitude, we grumble. Recently, I found myself in such a state as I set my gaze on the upcoming holiday. I was worn thin, spent. I had not slept well in days and was growing ornerier by the second. It is often in those moments of disgruntled dissatisfaction that the Lord shows up and gently reminds me that life is bigger than me. That was when I received an unwelcome phone call that the Lord would use to change my perspective.

George Bailey slides into view as he prepares to sled down a hill and across a frozen pond. He is a youth, no more than a middle schooler. He pushes

In Frank Capra’s, It’s a Wonderful Life, the weathered hero, George Bailey shuffles into the snow toward his car, promptly slams his car into a tree, slumps out the driver’s

This January marks twenty-two years since my family traveled overseas to adopt one of my younger sisters.

The rumors fluttered like leaves in an autumn sky, littering conversations with whispers of better days. My high school sports teams were not usually the best. In fact, my sophomore

Nearly a decade ago, I found myself kneeling by my bedside with an outdated course catalog for a school I had never visited. My thoughts began swirling as I prayed for His express guidance as to whether I should uproot and move 1,200-miles away to a new city with no connections. It was daunting. What if I made a mistake? How would I know if God was truly leading me?

Being one of Bethany’s prayer chain administrators, I am often granted the privilege of alerting our folks of prayer needs. I have received all sorts of requests. Some seem weightier