Encouraging You to Shine Your Light For God
I hope you are filled today with God’s love, peace, joy and hope. Regardless of our circumstances, these good gifts from God are always accessible to us with the right perspective and proximity to him. He is kind and generous with his children. Our circumstances don’t change his character. A […]
My favorite Christmas song has long been “O Holy Night.” Something about the lyrics and the music touch my soul on a deep level, often stirring my heart and bringing tears to my eyes. The song begins with these lyrics: O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is […]
Lord, we are under attack from the enemy. Please shield us from his piercing arrows. Let us find joy in the midst of sorrow. Remind us of your peace in the midst of worry. Send messages of love in the midst of hate and bitterness. Help us hold onto […]
Throughout my life, I have been driven to achieve. Get the top grades. Graduate college as fast as I can. Land an awesome job with great people. I was proud that I could achieve these accomplishments by my own merits. Meanwhile, my faith stayed lukewarm for much of my life. […]
The road to sin or misconduct typically isn’t a 90 degree turn. Someone doesn’t just wake up one morning and think, “I’m going to try cocaine today,” “Gaining 50 pounds sounds like a good plan—I’ll get started on that today,” “I think I will cheat on my spouse today,” “Maxing […]
I’ve been thinking about my faith journey lately–about the people, choices and habits that have led me to where I am today. I can see how God placed people in my life along the way to influence my faith, but there has been one step of obedience I’ve done that […]
This crazy year has taught me how important it is for us to build margins into our life. We need margin to help smooth out the rough patches of life. Margin is increased when we act as a good steward of the blessings and resources that God has given us, […]
“I can’t do it! It’s too hard!” My four-year-old daughter wailed as I encouraged her to buckle the straps in her car seat. I urged her not to give up and cheered when she persevered and snapped the buckle into place. Sometimes I feel like God is cheering us on […]
“I’m so weary.” I’ve heard this phrase repeated countless times over the past few weeks, and I’ve felt the heaviness each time from the person saying it. We are tired, stressed and worn out. Negative news reports, uncertainty and loss bombards us each day. We may try to put up […]
Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed some disturbing trends. My high achieving friends are distressed by their disrupted schedules. There is increased criticism toward leadership as well as anyone in the public eye. People are taking offense at any opinion or behavior that doesn’t align with their own, responding […]