Have you ever gotten down on your knees and washed someone’s feet? No, I’m not talking about your three-year-old’s muddy little toes after an afternoon of puddle jumping . . . but feet of all ages and sizes. A number of years ago, I attended church with my son and daughter-in-love at the church where…
I remember the birth of our first child like it happened yesterday. She was born on her due date, following a mercifully manageable and unmedicated labor and delivery. Her first cry was strong and healthy, and Rev and I praised God and cried for joy as she cried over the overwhelming change of breath, sounds, and…
Stop worrying! It’s not good for you! It’s bad for your health – mentally, physically, and spiritually. But it’s easier said than done, isn’t it? Life happens and there are plenty of things to worry about. And with practice, you can turn worrying into a fine art as you try to foresee and prevent any…
Is your spirit healthy? Did you know—if your spirit is healthy you will have better physical, social, and emotional health than those who are spiritually unhealthy? But how do you know if your spirit is healthy? Can you know a person’s spiritual health from their: Church Attendance? Bible Study? Prayer Life? Morals? Compassion? Kindness? Friendliness?…
You have a list of hopes and dreams. Things you want to accomplish. Places you want to visit. Hopes you hold on to for the future. You set goals. But the truth is… Some of your hopes and dreams will happen and some will not. And I always find it interesting that even of those…
I don’t know about you but some days I just don’t feel very lovable. It might be something as simple as a bad hair day. It’s hard to explain . . . it’s just a blah feeling I get once in a while. Rev always has a way of making me feel better. I can…
It’s February, so you know we have to talk about love. Okay, I’m using February as an excuse. If you’re a regular around here, you know we talk about love all the time because when you count your blessings . . . love tops the list. Recently, our pastor shared a message about knowing your…
Do you ever compare your life to the pretty picture lives of your friends on social media and feel like you’re missing out? Jesus challenged the people of His day with these words… Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” He said, “and try to understand. It’s not what…
You were determined. Things were going to be different this year. You made relationship goals and you’re doing your best. But there’s a problem. You brought last year’s baggage into this year’s efforts and your friends and family did too. Doubts, disappointments, failures . . . yep, the memories linger and hurt both your mind and…
Today’s a sad day for us. It hasn’t always been sad. In fact, it’s the anniversary of one of our family’s happiest days. But now, it’s a reminder of what we’ve lost . . . that someone we love is missing. We cherish every happy memory but on days like today, in all honesty . ….
I remember feeling more than ready to close the calendar on 2007 and welcome in a New Year. Each January 1st arrives with hopes, plans, and goals. But the first few months of the new year were equally hard . . . so much so that our friends started calling us the “high maintenance prayer…
What is the greatest problem in the world today? What do you believe? What do you think? I did a little research and found the following things on the list of worst world problems. Climate Change Healthcare Gender Equality Unemployment and Poverty Racial Equality Religious Conflict Political Instability Terrorism and War Russian Expansionism Nuclear Proliferation Conflict in…
If we’re going to look at all our relationships through the lens of our relationship with God through Jesus, we have to begin there. The Bible says “God is love.” 1 John 4:16 But what does that mean? What does God’s love look like? It’s an important question to ask and answer because the Bible says we should,…
I can’t believe we’ve come to the end of The Faith Project. I’ll never come to the end of learning and growing . . . but this week closes out my year of digging deep and writing about twelve themes I believe are important parts of a life of faith. Freedom Love Wisdom Prayer Humility Patience Stillness…
Who’s the person with whom you’d most like to spend an afternoon? I’m not sure, but I’m guessing you didn’t choose the grumpiest person you know. Seriously, who wants to spend time with someone who is cranky and miserable. I’m not talking about a friend who is sad or grieving but the one who is just plain…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A little less than two weeks until Christmas but in many households joy-filled wonderful is not filling the air. I’ve heard from a number of people who feel there is not enough time, money, or energy to see them through to the end of the year. They’re exhausted…
It’s the last month of The Faith Project. I can hardly believe it. We’ve taken a close look at Freedom in Christ, Love, Wisdom, Prayer, Humility, Patience, Stillness, Goodness, Peace, Worship, and Gratitude. Let’s end the year with Joy. Joy that goes deep into the heart and soul dwelling in the presence of God Himself. Here…
I sometimes wonder if we might not have a distorted view of Jesus. If we mold Him into who we think He is or who we want Him to be not who He really is. There are people want a warm and fuzzy Jesus. Someone who overlooks sin and makes them feel good about themselves. Others…
Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NCV) Really? Whatever happens? When I was curled up in the fetal position broken and feeling like I’d never feel happy again giving thanks was not a priority. Slowly, I began finding reasons to be thankful ….
Do you ever need a little extra inspiration to jumpstart feelings of thankfulness? I do. Some days are just hard and as I look around it’s hard to feel thankful in the midst of so much chaos and confusion. But there is always a reason to be thankful. Always. God is great. He is…
I’m not proud of this… I’ve had too many times in my life when all I could focus on was the problem. Like the eight years we struggled with secondary infertility, or when Rev was so sick, or when I allowed a problem with a child to consume my thoughts. And if I sat here for…
