“Why are you watching that? It will only stress you out!” That is what my husband said recently when he saw me watching one of a few documentaries that have interested me: Amazon’s “Shiny Happy People,” Hulu’s “The Secrets of Hillsong,” and Hulu’s “God Forbid.” All stories of ministries that were started by sincere people (I…
I wrote a book about biblical joy, entitled Everyday Prayers for Joy. I’ve also battled depression. Am I a hypocrite? Well, I’m sure there have been times when I have not “practiced what I preach,” but I do believe that depression and biblical joy can coexist. There are seasons when I find myself feeling exhausted…
If I were to describe my relationship with my dad, the word I would use would be “complicated”. I’ve never known life without him and I can’t imagine him not being here. He lived his life with his own set of rules and way of doing things. I guess most of us do the same….
Recently I was asked this question: “What keeps you coming back to church?” My mind immediately began to sift through all the things that drew us to the church we have been attending for about 3 months. After going through some difficult church situations we were tired, discouraged, confused, disillusioned…you name it! We felt it! We needed time…
The setting is a large bright room filled with an assortment of colorful toys. There is a cute play kitchen with dishes and plastic food on the shelf. Big, colorful, soft foam blocks stand stacked in one corner; a little play house stands in the other. There are toy trucks, plastic people and animals, and…
When we are young we often look ahead and conclude that we will reach a level of maturity and strength when we enter later seasons of life. Life, time, and God (if we allow him to) have a tendency to reveal how very weak we are and how very much we need His strength each…
The setting is a quiet waiting room. Sitting in a hard plastic chair, I patiently wait for my turn to be seen by the doctor. Listening intently for my name to be called, I am surrounded by people who are reading magazines, watching the news, or staring at thier phones. Suddenly an elderly woman, her white…
Legalism. Rigid. Rules. Everyone looks the same. Little diversity. Working. Working. Striving. Criticizing. Do things the way we do them. We know what is best. Structure. Rules. Do’s and don’ts. Everything is in black and white. Open wide the curtains and swing the windows open wide. Let the aroma of grace drift in. Breathe in…
