Blog
My “Yes” Is On The Table
Last summer my family experienced The Ark Encounter in Kentucky. Standing in front of a life-size replica of Noah’s ark was quite impressive, greatly enhancing my understanding of what a high calling and colossal task God had instructed Noah to accomplish. But more than that, God showed me the immensity of my smallness in contrast to the incomparable greatness of the mission He calls us to.
Who Am I?
You have set your glory above the heavens…When I see and consider your heavens, and the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, the sun and the clouds, that you have ordained and put in their place, who am I that you are mindful of me? A mere human, that you should care for me?
In The Shadow Of The Cross
Step by painful step, I trudge up the rugged hillside. The chains that bind my ankles clink hard and heavy against the stones beneath my feet. I keep my head down in shame and fear, making desperate attempts to deny the fate that awaits me. The weight of my shackles is nothing compared to the burdens that crush my soul. Some days I can barely stand under the pressure of it all.
Living Free In A Captive World
COVID. Quarantine. Masks. Virus. Numbers. Social Distance. Racial injustice. Police brutality. Political agenda. Riots. Hearings. Mandates. Rights. Opinions. Freedoms. Things.of.this.world.
Thoughts From Home
It’s been several months since the words “go home” first caused me to shutter and sparked the fire in my soul to ignite once again. In case you may not know, “go home” was spoken as the knee-jerk reaction from a highly influential pastor regarding another well-known author and teacher, one who also happens to be a woman.[1] I have many thoughts and personal opinions on said situation that until now, I have not ventured to share publicly. But after recently reading an article revealing what should be unspeakable, I can no longer hold my peace. The article described conversations among male denominational and church leaders. The derogatory, crude, and entirely inappropriate comments about their sisters in Chris
Back To Normal, But Never The Same
How are you doing? This is a question I’m asked quite often these days. And it’s not the typical quick wave and comment as people walk by. It’s a sincere desire to know how I’m feeling and doing following the November surgery. While I share a little with people, there is so much more to the story that most people don’t know; so many facets and details and stories within the story that make this kidney-donation experience more significant and life-changing for me than I ever imagined it would be.
Wild Ride
As I step into the beginning of another year of life, I reflect on all God has done thus far. And I wonder what He will call me to in the future, especially in these next 366 days (it’s a leap year!). There have been many days over the years that I’ve spent seeking God’s will and questioning whether or not I am answering His call and fulfilling His purpose for me on this earth. I only get one chance, so I wanna be sure I get this right! But somewhere along the way, I have learned that God’s grand purpose for me is to glorify Him, and He will graciously give me innumerable opportunities in this lifetime to do exactly that!
He’s Only Just Begun
As I sit in the quiet of this bright Sunday morning, my mind reflects and my heart ponders the pure goodness and power of God. While I would love to be worshipping with my church family this morning, I don’t think I’m quite ready yet. So I sit in the presence of God in the comfort of my recliner. Covered by my new favorite blanket (thanks, Michelle!), and a kidney-shaped pillow laid across my middle, I read about the God of All in The Valley of Vision.
Dear Dad
Dear Dad, I can’t believe you’ve been gone a whole year already. I’ve been thinking about you so much these past few days, remembering so many details of this weekend a year ago, not realizing then that they would be my last memories of you this side of heaven. The theme of the last 365 days has been a very hard beautiful: this year has brought deeper pain than I’ve ever experienced, but these days have also brought peace I cannot explain and growth that probably would not have come any other way.
Quietly Waiting
“I wait quietly before the Lord, for my victory comes from him.” We spend a lot of time waiting, don’t we? Nearly every day we wait in line, wait in traffic, wait for our turn at something. There are times when the wait is longer, the wait is harder, the wait is even necessary. And in a world that constantly pushes instant gratification and demands immediate results, the art of waiting quietly is all but lost. Ironically, the word “quietly” is the word that spoke loudest to me when I read Psalm 62:1 a few days ago.
Called By Name
A seemingly random list of things from my life that God very intentionally orchestrated to speak His truth- repeatedly- throughout the course of just a few days. Allow me to explain:
Fresh Waves
Those of you following my grief journey may know that a few weeks ago I closed on my dad’s house. This was a last big thing included in my realm of responsibilities as executor of his estate. To say it was bittersweet would be an understatement. While it was another powerful reminder of the reality I face, it was also freeing in a strange sort of way, like the closing of a chapter. And I felt like I now had permission (whose, I’m not sure) to begin moving forward.
Bring The Rain
Camp Manitoqua was my happy place. I spent weeks of several consecutive summers attending and then serving at summer camp. I still describe those experiences as heaven on earth. I distinctly remember one night sitting outside in a wooded area. I was leaning against a rock with my Bible open in my lap. This time alone with God was an important camp discipline. God met me there that night, His Word coming alive in my soul once again. As I sat there reading and praying, God opened the heavens and rain poured out of the sky. I lifted my head and stretched out my arms, welcoming the rain, and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to wash over me, powerfully reminding me of His presence and His faithfulness.
Bust Outta The Box
I grew up with the message, “You can do anything you set your mind to…(as long as it fits into this box).” Of course that last part wasn’t spoken out loud, but was very much the expectation. I’m learning that I’m not alone. I’ve discovered that many women through the years have struggled and continue to struggle with knowing how to honor God in the church and in the world today (take some time to watch the above link). For many years, I made myself fit into that box, not realizing just how bruised I’d become. It actually wasn’t until recently that I began to really recognize my continuing internal struggle.
Righteous Reminders
I recently taught a Bible study lesson on Hebrews 8, which outlines why the new covenant Jesus ushered in is better the covenant of the Old Testament. Under the old covenant, repeated sacrifices were necessary to atone for sin. Each sacrificial offering was a reminder of sin, but none had the power to effectively remove it. Then comes Jesus, whose perfect sacrifice provides full covering and complete remission from all our sins.
The Journey Continues…
“Then sings my soul, my Savior, God to Thee…” I had barely gotten through the first line of that song when the tears started to come. Quickly recognizing the song as one we sang at my dad’s funeral, one of my boys whispered, “Did you bring any tissues?” They know me too well. I almost always get emotional during Sunday morning worship. But today the tears flowed fast, hard, and without restraint.
Life On Purpose
Another birthday has come and gone…usually I don’t think too much about turning a year older. After all, it’s just a number, right? But once in a while it hits me. When I turned 40, I really began to ask myself some hard questions about who I was and what I was doing with my life. I even asked the Facebook world to share three words that came to mind when they thought of me.
Beloved
I did something today I never thought I would do: I got a tattoo! This might be quite a shock to some who know me. I’m actually a little surprised by it myself. But here’s the thing: I finally know who I am in a way that has impacted the deepest parts of my soul. And I don’t ever want to forget.