I choose death
By Jolene K. Hodder, Commissioner – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11). I settled into the big
Window dressing
By Jolene K. Hodder, Commissioner - In our home, there is an established procedure for watching Hallmark Christmas movies. At the appointed hour, I run upstairs to change out of my uniform into a t-shirt and sweatpants while my darling
Lessons learned from ‘Field of Dreams’
‘If you build it, they will come.’ By Marcia Smith, Lt. Colonel - Recently, it was the 30th anniversary of the release of the movie “Field of Dreams.” My husband, Steve, loves baseball movies, and I, wanting to be a good wife
He understands
By Jolene K. Hodder, Commissioner - I received that call every child fears—come quickly, your father is ill. I dropped everything, jumped on a flight and rushed to the hospital. Standing next to my father’s bed, holding his hand, everything
Downsizing God’s way
By Joan Doughty, Lt. Colonel - Digging through a lot of “stuff” is no small task. I have been sorting through books, commentaries, wrapping paper, clothing, decorations and various assorted odds and ends as I begin preparing for retirement in March 2020.
More than a team
By Kenneth G. Hodder, Commissioner - It is commonplace for corporations to refer to their employees as “the team.” Whether it’s because we want to create a sense that everyone has an important part to play, or we believe that using
Honoring lives etched into mine this Memorial Day
By Lisa Brodin Smith, Lt. Colonel - Lulu Turner Landon. David Longden. Eugene Landon. Cora “Poe” Hogan. George Washington Landon. All these names are so familiar to me, yet I’ve never met any of the souls to whom they belong. The
Whose plan is it?
By Jolene K. Hodder, Commissioner - After a hectic travel schedule, I recently asked my husband to take a long walk with me along the Rancho Palos Verdes, California, coastline. He quickly agreed. We threw on our exercise outfits, grabbed a
A salvation smoothie
By David Kelly, Lt. Colonel - I wonder if those who observed Jesus most closely would say he was more engaged in doing church or charity. Did he spend more of his three years of ministry teaching people about the Kingdom
There is no higher calling
Phrases like “higher calling” may sound spiritual to our ears, but they are far from the truth of God. By David Witthoff - The pervasiveness of metaphor is evident in many kinds of sources, from news outlets to classical texts. One of
Toward a theology of home
By Victor Doughty, Lt. Colonel - “The Way Out” initiative, calling Salvationists to double The Salvation Army’s impact on homelessness in this territory, provides an opportunity to revisit some of the theological underpinnings of our social work in this key aspect
‘The Way Out’
By Kenneth G. Hodder, Commissioner - Friends, we must do more. On any given night in America, 553,000 people are homeless. They are men, women and children. They are single and married. They are from every ethnic group, they come from a