Author: Martin Wiles

Five senses are great, but it's wonderful when the sixth works as well. I enjoy all of my senses. Recently, my eye doctor told me that I was a candidate for glaucoma. Fortunately, the cornea specialist said that it wasn't as bad as it … Read more

We sat in a small group and talked about appointments and disappointments. When I have an appointment, someone has agreed to meet me at a certain time, or I've agreed to meet them. Disappointment is the difference between my expectations … Read more

Camping in the mountains without one is a disaster. When my brother, daughter, and I backpacked in the mountains, our goal was for our packs to be as light as possible. Among the things that I chose to leave out, a flashlight wasn't one … Read more

Rachel knew God's promises, but she wondered when they'd come true. She was a young woman with health problems the size of an older person's. Degenerative arthritis plagued her joints and back. Several female operations had left her unable … Read more

Guarantees can be the difference between misery and enjoyment. Only once in my lifetime have I purchased a car without a warranty. In fact, only once in my lifetime have I purchased a car from an individual whom I didn't know. My wife and … Read more

Absence can make the heart grow fonder; it can also cause it to grow callous. Deployed soldiers know this well. Tours of duty seem forever. Years pass without seeing their loved ones. Letters and the occasional phone call are the best that … Read more

We were in a strange place and had no plans to spend our first Christmas there. Eight years had passed since I graduated high school, but now I felt God's call into full-time ministry. Obeying it would require furthering my education. I … Read more

Dead people don't move … or do they? I've also heard that dead people don't tell tales. But maybe they do. Because of my upbringing and my profession, I've seen more than my share of dead people. As a pastor, my father performed … Read more

Accepting another person doesn't necessarily mean accepting their beliefs or practices. Accepting someone whose beliefs or practices aren't the same as mine isn't easy. For example, growing up, I was taught that Sunday was a sacred day. … Read more

If I thought it, I was wrong. No one ever said that leading was easy or popular. I had been chosen as the leader of a local organization. Accepting the position required moving almost three hours away. Since my wife and I felt the Lord … Read more