On this Good Friday, I was listening to the crucifixion story. One verse stood out to me in a very different way than it ever has before. Our Current Crisis You see, over the last week, I’ve been thinking about the Coronavirus crisis and how life is so different at this point in time. Many […]
God: A Secure Refuge in Troubling Times
This devotional thought is part of our weekly email and FB reflections through the book of Psalms. In God’s providence, this week’s Psalm fits perfectly with the events going on around the world, and so I decided to publish it here as well. Find out how you can receive these weekly reflections at the end […]
Helping Children Wonder at God, the Creator
(updated March 2020 with new resources) This week we found tulips pushing up in our yard, had wind blow our gas grill across the deck, and went puddle jumping (more like mud slogging) with friends! Spring is on its way here, and I couldn’t be more excited! In spite of pollen, tornadoes, and poison ivy, […]
Ways to Enjoy Life with God in Winter
Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, indicated on Sunday that spring will be here early this year. Had this prediction been given any of my other 16 winters here in MO, words like elated, jubilant, and ecstatic would have described my reaction. But this year was different. I’m joyful that spring is around the corner, don’t get […]
My Word for 2020
We’re only 10 days in to the New Year, and I’m already loving my word! Of course, I started thinking about it here and there back in October. It was late November or early December when I knew for sure “nourish” was it. So, I’ve been anticipating its influence for a few weeks now. If […]
Gift Ideas for Nurturing Intimacy with Jesus
*updated for 2019 I’m typically one of those die-hard “don’t celebrate Christmas until after Thanksgiving” kind of people. And, while I’m still holding out this year, I do find it’s getting harder! It probably has to do with the fact that stores were displaying Christmas items in SEPTEMBER this year. What? Or maybe it’s the […]
Abundance Starts Small
Abundance is my One Word for One Year this year. God continues to use the natural world to teach me much about this word. Here are my key observations from the summer: #1 – Abundance is natural when the conditions are right. #2 – Abundance does not discriminate. #3 – Abundance is not under my […]
Ways to Enjoy God This Fall
Fall evokes so many word associations. Crisp mornings. Pumpkin everything. Apples. Fires. Vibrant leaves. Warmth. Coziness. Fall is a favorite time of year for many. It’s not, however, my favorite – mostly because it means winter is looming with bitter winds, icy roads and short days. I’m learning, though, to notice and embrace the beauty […]
The Impact of A Simple & Ordinary Life
We all want to make a difference, change the world, leave a mark. I believe it’s an innate desire. The problem isn’t so much in wanting this, but in defining what it looks like … or, rather, what it doesn’t look like. Ask, “Who’s making a difference?”, and we usually reply with names of those […]
The Gospel: Who Needs to Hear It?
Before we answer this question, let’s talk about the gospel itself. Gospel literally means good news – the good news that Jesus died and came alive again in order to forgive our sins and restore our relationship with God. Chances are you know this well. But what about the rest of the gospel? The gospel […]