The friend request from some guy I did not know made it through my Facebook filter. He only requested a reciprocal ‘friending,’ so I thought . . . Okay. I’ll confirm this person’s request. Maybe he wants to know about my newest book. Click. Accept. Then came his first post. “You are so-o-o-o beautiful.” GAG! […]
Where shall I go, God? Where do you want me to live? How can I serve you best? What is your perfect plan for me? These types of questions often plague us because we focus so strongly on what we should do—how productive we should be—rather than what God truly desires for us. During my
The Search for God’s Longing Read More »
The puzzle I finished reflected the colors and designs of the Southwest. Turquoise moccasins. Native American pottery. A sunset of desert textures. Yet beyond the stress-relieving act of fitting those puzzle pieces together, God taught me precious lessons of faith. Think About the Big Picture. Once I found the borders of the puzzle, several other
Action Steps from a Puzzle Read More »
When we observe Holy Week, we often focus on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday. But a spiritually important topic emerges on what I call ‘Silent Saturday.’ Imagine those early Jesus followers in the first century. Their champion had been brutally murdered by the Roman empire at the instigation of the Jewish religious leaders.
Maybe it’s because I worked six years for a faith-based women’s center. Or maybe it’s because I have known so many incredible women with amazing giftings. Maybe it’s because we are in the middle of International Women’s Month. For whatever reason, the topic of valuing women is front and center. Growing up in a legalistic
The Value of Women Read More »
Many of us Jesus-followers no longer use the identifier of ‘Christian,’ because it has been so misused within the last several years. But if you are looking for those who follow the teachings of Jesus, how do you find them? You follow the path of nature. You look for the fruit. We identify fruit trees
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A memory from my past whispers, “Shame on you,” and suddenly I am four years old again. I have spilled my ice cream on the floor. An accident. A lack of mature motor skills. I know that now, but my four-year-old self only heard the phrase, “Shame on you.” That phrase was often used in
When Hope Eliminates Shame Read More »
What is the difference between the pain of growing and the pain of suffering? Neither type of pain is comfortable and most of us try to avoid all pain. We want life to be struggle free, even if we have to ask the doctor for a prescription to ease our suffering. But is there a
Finding Hope in the Pain Read More »
As a former athlete, I fully admit I still love watching sports. Of course, like most folks — I have my favorite teams. But I tend to cheer most during the college football and basketball seasons and for my team in the NFL. In fact, I am known as a ‘yeller.’ Not afraid to cheer
Living with True Strength Read More »
Ten minutes into my home Bible study, Judith gasped. I stopped reading Romans 12 and asked, “Any questions or concerns?” To her credit, Judith decided not to confront me in front of the entire group. “No,” she said. “Nothing right now.” After we finished, Judith hung back as I said goodnight to the rest of
Hope Builds on Truth Read More »