“I’ll never be a non-stumbler. I’ll be a forgiven stumbler, but never a non-stumbler.” ~Toby Mac Picture this… Yesterday was one of those days you stumbled so badly that you stumbled into bed relieved it was over. You wanted to “shake it off” like Taylor Swift, or “let it go” like Elsa; but the stumbles were huge. You said…
Studies have shown that doing things for others blesses the giver as well as the recipient. Want increased happiness? Go out and help someone. Research shows that helping others: 1. Increases self-confidence. 2. Combats depression. 3. Generates happiness. 4. Develops patience. 5. Teaches resilience. 6. Improves stress management. [Tweet “We could almost help others for purely selfish motives.”] But. Let’s…
He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Look closer – Come to the Empty Grave Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and…
I had one of those moments recently when I realized Christians are wrong when… We say it right, but do it wrong. What’s it? Obedience. Why do you obey God? Okay, maybe a better question is why do you try to obey God? To please Him? To earn His favor? To look good at church?…
I want to listen. I haven’t always wanted to listen. Do you know a little girl who just loves the sound of her own voice? Who loved to coo and babble, learned words early, and felt the need to share them at every opportunity? That was me. I was a good talker. But I don’t want to be…
I want to pour myself into this space. I want to love you well. I don’t want to preach at you or talk to you about rules and religion. I want to love you well. I want to tell you how God’s love worked its way into my heart; how He replaced fear with faith….
Have you ever thrown a party and waited and waited and no one came? I have. It wasn’t a birthday party or holiday celebration; it was a basket party. When I finally admitted the consultant and I were on our own, I bought enough baskets to reach the party quota and decided to never host an in…
It seems that promises and cynicism go together like PB and J. Try looking up quotes about promises and most talk about failure and disappointment. Everyone knows the quote: “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Yet unkept promises are things we’ve learned to accept as the norm. If you’re tired of and discouraged by broken promises keep reading ….
You know the verses. Light, sky, land, sun, moon, stars, sea, animals—then the sixth day of creation… So God created human beings in His image. Genesis 1:27 Imageo Dei – being made in God’s likeness means we are creative, spiritual, and relational. We can think and communicate, and we’re able to love. But… Maybe it’s because a…
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 Jesus lived to teach us the truth of God’s love. Jesus died to take our punishment and remove our sins. Jesus rose…
Then He [Jesus] called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. Mark…
[Tweet “”A baby is born with a need to be loved . . . and never outgrows it.” ~Frank A. Clark, The Country Parson”] Everyone is born with an inherent need to be loved . . . this complex feeling that’s hard to explain. From first inhale to final exhale and beyond you and I were created for love….
You may know the A.C.T.S. prayer model. A. = Adoration C. = ConfessionT. = ThanksgivingS. = Supplication I like this model, but I like the one I learned as a child better. We don’t use the word supplication very often, and I’m not sure many people know what it means. Supplication is defined as: a “humble prayer…
He waits and watches from the porch of a small cottage. I don’t know why I don’t picture Him in front of a grand majestic palace. I just don’t. He smiles and runs toward me with arms open wide as I approach. This prodigal God greeting His prodigal daughter. And I’m home. The word prodigal means:…
Life and death situations. One after another. Hard days. Long nights. Our year of intense prayer . . . the before, during, and after. July 2006 – He was gone longer than usual. 30 minute power walks 5 times a week were normal. They had been for 26 years. But this time he came home…
We know God’s love is perfect, unfailing, and forever. We know He loves people. All people. God our Savior, wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For . . . there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. 1 Timothy 2:4–6…
To be known is to be loved. To be loved is to be known. If you missed the video . . . To Be Known is To Be Loved take a minute and watch it here. You are known and loved.The last two days we’ve rested in the truth that God knows us and loves us….
Last year, I wrote: I was born a people-pleaser. I can’t remember a time in life when I wasn’t anxious about keeping the important people in my life happy. Disapproval was all the discipline I needed. I “danced!” I used well-practiced steps to earn and keep approval. But dancing is exhausting and impossible. The most difficult times were…
Multiple studies suggest this one thing can improve your life and emotional well-being and your physical health. It strengthens relationships, creates feelings of satisfaction and contentment, and can even help you cope with stress. What is it? Gratitude Did you know all the ways being thankful could bless you? Not to mention the blessings for those…
Photo Credit I decided to save my original post for today to stop and honor the life and faith of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His message of love and forgiveness is one you and I need to raise up in this season of antagonism and anger. We are more alike than we are different….
Photo Credit The following story took place on Christmas Eve 1914: I Shall Never Forget It: 100 Years Since Christmas Eve Truce With British and German forces separated only by a no-man’s land littered with fallen comrades, sounds of a German Christmas carol suddenly drifted across the frigid air. “It was a beautiful moonlit night,…
