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In this month of Advent, our thoughts usually turn to Jesus and Mary. Yet lately I’ve found that I’m more drawn to Elizabeth. Perhaps it’s because I’m older. Or maybe it’s because I know what it’s like to yearn for something and then to see days, months, years pass without having that yearning fulfilled.

Advent is about longing. It’s a time to remember the Israelites’ years of waiting for the Messiah, and to focus on our own longing for a deeper sense of Emmanuel in our daily lives as well as for Jesus’ return.

I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, from the western Chicago suburbs six weeks ago based on a strong sense of God’s leading. I didn’t get an angel or nine months of planning like Mary did—both of which would have been nice.

Have you ever had God answer a prayer you prayed for a long time? Have you ever had God answer a prayer in a surprising way?

Would Jesus eat frybread? That was the question 150 Native American students and staff from around the country gathered to discuss November 9–11 in Window Rock, Arizona (the capital of the Navajo nation).

Daniel Bourdanné’s life was profoundly impacted by the ministry of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) when he was a student in Chad, his home country.

I lost both of my parents in September. I’m mourning deeply, of course, but I also find a deep gratitude welling up for the many gifts they gave me.

Although I had a great college experience overall, I do have a few regrets. One is that I didn’t study abroad. (In my defense, I was supposed to spend a J-Term in Israel, but the trip got cancelled due to safety concerns. So I spent J-Term in . . .

Three weeks ago, I asked several hundred college students a question: What is your biggest obstacle today to giving your whole life for God’s global mission?

In 28 hours I can be in Thailand.  I just looked it up, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, although I use that term loosely (miracle, not Internet). Right this moment, I can book a flight from Chicago to Bangkok and be wheels-up to Thailand in six hours, carrying nothing with me except a messenger bag filled with beef jerky...