When Life Gives You More Than You Bargained For

When Life Gives You More Than You Bargained For

by | May 22, 2020 |

Are you longing for something and growing weary of waiting? Or are you in the midst of something and finding it more than you bargained for? Maybe you got that new job, but didn’t expect it to be so hard/easy/boring/challenging. Maybe you wanted more time with your family, but didn’t realize how much patience it would require. Maybe, like Peter, you are stepping out in faith towards a dream and feeling overwhelmed by the size of the waves and the force of the wind.. “The will of God is always a bigger thing than we bargain for, but we must believe that whatever it involves, it is good, acceptable, and perfect.” –Jim Elliot

Pandemic Roots: Are Your True Colors Showing?

Pandemic Roots: Are Your True Colors Showing?

by | May 16, 2020 |

I’ve realized the longer we remain enclosed together within the boundaries of our home, my hair is not the only thing showing its true colors.

It’s definitely easier to point it out in those around me, but it’s been happening enough now that I can’t deny what is evident in my own heart. Some of the “roots” growing out of me during this unusual, uncomfortable time, like my hair, are also not so pretty.

Selfishness. Laziness. Impatience. Gluttony.

And I am not the only one. This break from our normal routine is revealing many of our heart-roots…
While I am all for being genuine, there is no value in pursuing the worst version of myself. Just because the roots are there doesn’t mean that is ALL that’s there…

Unforgettable Quotes: Lessons I Learned from “Free Burma Rangers”

Unforgettable Quotes: Lessons I Learned from “Free Burma Rangers”

by | May 8, 2020 | ,

“Vengeance looks a lot like justice, but it is driven by hate. They both start in the same place- an injustice occurs. However, one response is done in a spirit of love, the other a spirit of hate. It’s not our job to bring vengeance or justice… we are simply to obey Jesus (in a spirit of love).”
Think about that for awhile. When I watched Dave Eubank process this truth (God’s answer to his prayer for what clearly seemed like justice but in reality was vengeance) and then willingly submit, I was floored. Lord, help me listen and obey like that…

Somewhere In Between

Somewhere In Between

by | Apr 22, 2020 |

I went for a walk the other night, right at dusk. It was still light outside when I left my house. The air was warm and the sky was a beautiful, bright blue. As I neared the halfway point, the sun was dropping behind the trees, shining through in glimpses of pink and...

Palm Sunday Reflections

Palm Sunday Reflections

by | Apr 6, 2020 |

Where was I as You entered the city? Was I walking near You  while the people shouted Your name? Was I leading the donkey  or walking beside You, Feeling important because those who had gathered finally knew who You really were? This was what we’d been...

Coronavirus, Toilet Paper, and Slowing Down Time

Coronavirus, Toilet Paper, and Slowing Down Time

by | Mar 14, 2020 | ,

Embrace these moments, I heard Him say. Don’t dread them. Savor them, treasure them, immerse yourself in them. For you are right, they will be gone in the blink of an eye, and you don’t want to miss any of it because you are too wrapped up in your own pity party.
Lift up your eyes, open your hands, and receive these little gifts of joy. You can’t make time slow down, but you can slow yourself down enough to embrace it.

Putting on my Peace Shoes (and Walking What I Talk)

Putting on my Peace Shoes (and Walking What I Talk)

by | Mar 6, 2020 | ,

Where are you, Lord?

As the wind and waves of my circumstances swirled around me, I couldn’t even concentrate. How are we supposed to handle this, Lord? What do we do now? How are we possibly going to get everything done? Help me, Lord!

Help me!

An image popped in my mind of Peter standing out there on the water, storm raging around him, arms outstretched towards Jesus. “Lord, help me!” And that’s when I remembered our Peace Shoes from Sunday.

“Peace is not the absence of chaos, but a calmness in the midst of it”… and boy, was I in the midst of it! I wish I could say my first response to the craziness was fixing my eyes on Jesus and finding something to be grateful for, but it wasn’t.

Not even close.

It wasn’t until I was neck-deep in the waves of my chaos that I remembered where to lift my eyes. But in that moment, when I finally looked up, I saw Jesus. And something began to change.

I remembered that peace doesn’t come naturally to us; we have to choose it…

Open Hands

Open Hands

by | Mar 2, 2020 | ,

We think our hands are open, willing to receive whatever the Lord has to give. Yet, so often when I come to God believing that my hands are open, I am already clutching something else in my grasp.

“Lord, heal me!” I cry, reaching out in faith for healing.

“Lord, guide me!” I plead, seeking answers and direction.

“Lord, empower me!” I say, looking for opportunities.

And the whole time, I think my hands are open. I believe He will answer, and I know He is able to give me what I’m asking for. Surely I will receive it, according to my great faith!

Only, I don’t realize I cannot receive anything because my hands are already full. If I look closely enough, I begin to see what fills them up…

Reflections of a College Visit

Reflections of a College Visit

by | Feb 25, 2020 | ,

Nearly eighteen years ago, our first baby was born. A little girl.   Today, we walked from building to building, up and down stairs, all around a campus that, in a few months, will be her new home. How in the world did we get here? I remember feeling her...