Advent should be an ADVENTure! An adventure that honors tradition without bowing the knee to retail-bullying. One that embraces fun and gift-giving without breaking the bank. One that engages more of me than just my schedule and my credit card. The season of Advent may appear to have been hijacked by a relentless stream of […]
I sit at the kitchen table, slowly addressing the huge stack of graduation announcements for my son. My youngest, who ten minutes ago still needed me to lay down beside him at bedtime so that he could fall asleep. I look at the young man in the photos as I stuff cards into envelopes and […]
Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but […]
I will shout for joy as I sing Your praises; my soul will celebrate because You have rescued me. Psalm 71:23 The Voice Have you ever done a Beth Moore study? They are deep and wide and meaty and growth-inducing IF you do the homework. I’m not sure which study brought this song to life, but joy was the […]
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28 New Living […]
I am the Eternal One. I Am is My name. My beauty is unique, a weighty splendor all My own. And nothing else—no idols could possibly gain My praise.Look here, what’s done is done and gone.The now is new, and there’s hope in the not-yet.I will tell you what’s to come, even before the events are brand-new.So make […]
Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the desert—His name is the Lord—be in good spirits before Him. Psalm 68:4 AMP I ran away from home when I was 32 years old. I had a rare opportunity to visit my parents by myself, and I took it. It […]
For a season, earlier in my life, songs seemed to ooze out of me. It wasn’t as if I could control the process. To be completely honest, the process actually controlled me. I would sense the gathering of energy inside, growing and pressing against my being from within – a captive seeking an escape route. […]
There’s just something about verse, you know? Poetry. Lyrics. They have the power to bypass the gatekeeper (the brain) and deliver their goods directly to the heart. A song or poem, delivered at just the right time, has the potential to redirect our thoughts or the trajectory of our day. Verse stirs up – or […]
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and […]