We’re Here for You

I have been re-reading “The Shack.” Again. At this point, it has been a decade or so. And let me stop you right there. No, it’s not the same as the movie. The movie is good but the book it far, far better. There is a depth in the words the author selected that feels […]

The Look on His Face…

Well then. This is exhilarating! In two weeks, we’ve had a staff retreat, looked at property to purchase, signed the contract, gathered the $10K earnest money, and whew… What just happened? I think the answer we are straining for is:  Jesus. I laughed and told my team the last time the Spirit was moving this […]

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

We were talking at our staff retreat about our word for the year. Have you revisited yours lately? My word for this year is surprises. I am usually excited to hear from the Lord through this exercise. But at the beginning of this year? Not so much. I didn’t receive the word surprises as something […]

Advent Reflections: Every Good Gift

Chuck and I are going through lean times. Maybe you are too. New jobs, home repair, kids’ expenses, illness—many factors cause money to pass through all of our hands. Seen and unseen circumstances affect cash flow like the moon affects the ebb and flow of the tide. God planted three truths in our hearts to […]

How Much Love Is Enough?

I seem to have a hard time loving. Even after all this time, some conflict or some person slams up against a brick wall inside my heart.  On this wall is a big neon sign that flashes “THAT’S IT! I’m done with you.” To add insult to injury after the said collision, I then somehow […]

Hot to Cold

God is always leading us forward into freedom. Past the sin, the stuck places, the disappointment, and the heartache of living. Forward. Always forward into hope, into more of Him, into deep change. He does transformative work with this double-edged sword called Spirit and Truth. With this sword, two things are happening at the same […]

Why Believe?

If you remember, my word for the year is Unleashing Miracles. Audacious, I know. But isn’t He? Audacious, awe-inspiring, surprising, outrageous. That’s our God. And today as we head into Roar: Freedom in the Kingdom, as we head into another run around the sun, as we head into more living, I encourage you to not lose […]

Help My Unbelief

The word stopped me dead in my tracks.  A friend was coaching us about decisions that needed to be made and he remarked, “it was presumptive of me to think God would take care of” the situation the way I had planned. He went on to give us much-needed wisdom and insight. But that word […]

Under New Management

Chuck and I enjoy eating out. We have our favorite go-to spots and a list of got-to-try places. As we left Corner 16 the other night, we recalled this memory of eating there when the girls were little.  Only then it was a Ruby Tuesday.  We watched that Ruby Tuesday slowly die. Declining food quality, […]

Why Miracles Today

To be frank, I am not sure how the church ever stumbled over the miracle question. How we dropped the training and expectation of miracles is disturbing. Let’s break this down with the old math adage:  Milk comes from cows. Butter comes from milk. Therefore butter comes from cows. Salvation comes from Jesus. Salvation is […]