Rope Holders: Leverage Your Resources
Imagine a deep pit into which an unsuspecting person has stumbled. Many would-be rescuers are standing around the opening, but a lone voice calls out, “I will go down, but you must hold the ropes for me.” God is in the business of seeking people who have lived their entire lives in the pit of…
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What I Have Learned from Tea Parties
I have attended many tea parties in my life. You know, the fancy ones with feather boas, imaginary tea and crumpets, and stuffed elephants that wear tutus. These sorts of luxuries are just everyday life when you hang out with four-year-old girls. I have noticed that no matter what is going on in the seen…
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Bumper Sticker Theology
Bumper stickers were the original tweets. I grew up in the days of the bumper sticker. Nowadays, I don’t see as many as I used to. Back then, every car had a bumper sticker, and usually more than one. Some of them were quite funny: “The weather is beautiful here; wish you were here too,…
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When Dads Obey the Voice of God
I did not know his name but I remembered his face. During my first Weave BIG Story training in Ethiopia, he sat just in front of me on my right hand side. He was always dressed in slacks and a button-up shirt, faithfully taking notes through each and every session. He spoke only enough English…
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A World of Difference
For the most part, my generation lived in a bubble. We lived, we worked, we went to school, we married and we died, all within our bubble. There was nothing wrong with that; it was just the way it was. To show you how small our bubble was when I was growing up in Missouri,…
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Welcoming the Nations
We often shelter our children from unknown situations, some because we are good parents who want to keep them safe, and some, because we are also afraid of the unknown. It is human to be afraid of what we do not know. But unfortunately, we act this way around people who are here from other…
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A Small Speck in a Big Picture
I am a huge fan of spontaneous road trips. In fact, I recently took a day trip to Kansas City. I did not make a lot of plans for this trip (that would not be very spontaneous), but shortly into my drive I remembered an incredible art museum in the city. Since one of the…
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Praying Higher Things for Your Children
As parents we pray diligently for our children, at least until they’re born. We then spend the rest of the time praying for ourselves, “Lord, deliver us from this evil.” I think the prayers of today’s parents may go something like this: Dear Lord, I pray that You keep my child away from all evil,…
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Is My Name In There?
I invited six-year-old Maria to assist me with a Sunday school lesson. As she came to the front of the room, she pointed to my Bible and asked, “Is my name in there?” Feeling the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I replaced the activity with a much-needed moment of affirmation for all those Maria’s out there. OK,…
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The Timothy Example
Raising a child with a missional outlook can be a difficult task – a task that takes effort. When looking for “how-tos,” let’s not forget to look at the Bible itself. There we find the account of Timothy, a child who grew up with a definitive focus on missions. Timothy grew up in the town…