I was amazed at what was unfolding before me.  I had just given the first altar call in my ministry life and suddenly, kids started to come forward, first one, then three and before I knew it, 59 of the 64 fourth, fifth and sixth grade boys were filling the front of the camp lodge […]

“I think your son has a syndrome.” This is what the hospital physician shared with me just hours after my son’s birth. That day my life changed forever. Little did I know then that I had just entered the world of “special needs”: daily therapy appointments (OT /PT/speech) doctor visits, surgeries, and hospitalizations. As I […]

Originally published on July 13, 2018 at www.melissajmacdonald.com  For the last 7 summers I have done camp ministry. I travel from camp to camp as a speaker to kids. I love it. By the end of this summer I will have done a total of 39 camps in 7 years. Yes, I absolutely love the […]

Do you have days when you need a little encouragement? Recently, I looked back over my pastoral career serving children and families. I wondered, What returns are there for all the effort—the cookies, story times, costumes, murals, songs? Truthfully, I was tired. I not only was looking for encouragement; I also lacked energy to go […]