The Gap Between Reality and the Ideal
Mark and I broke out of the woods and paused for a moment to gaze up at the peak of the mountain in front of us. I was spending a summer in the Denver area, and climbing a fourteener was on my Colorado bucket list. Hiking through the woods had been enjoyable, but now that we were…
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Role Call
The world pressures us to become “conformists.” There are pressures all around us to act, dress, look, think, buy, and behave in the same way as everyone else. Sadly, this pressure can even exist in the church when it comes to service and missions. Week after week the pastor encourages the congregation to volunteer in…
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Here I am
I still clearly remember my fervor as a young Christian in college, newly recommitted to Christ and ready to take on any and every challenge God had for me. Evangelizing fellow undergraduates during Spring Break on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale? Inviting Tony Campolo to our secular campus and telling everyone and anyone who would…
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No Regret Parenting
My husband John and I are baby boomers. During World War II, my parents worked in the aircraft industry in California and returned home to Arkansas to build their new home and life. As their dreams unfolded, I turned out to be an only child and the object of their affection. Growing up, I was…
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As For Me and My House
The people of Israel had entered the Promised Land. They had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. Yet, despite God’s faithfulness, the people still wavered between their worship of God and the false idols of the nations around them. Joshua was now 110 years old, and close to death. He had a final message for…
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Tweens with Purpose
Remember back when you were in middle school? Remember those days when nothing went right? Your best friend decided that she was someone else’s best friend, your math teacher gave a pop quiz, and one look in the mirror showed you had developed a giant zit on the end of your nose. Life in middle…
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Heartbeat
What are God’s purposes? This foundational question sets the course for all Christian families. His purpose is the glory of His name in every nation and in every generation through the redemption of sinful people by His Son, Jesus. Simply, God’s methods for accomplishing this purpose on the earth are threefold. First, that His people…
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When Chaos Abounds
Chaos abounds. We are tempted to give in and allow it to define us. Before long, the invisible nametag we are wearing reads, “Hello, my name is Overscheduled. Unorganized Disaster. Burnt Out. __________.” You fill in the blank. Surviving the day-to-day necessities of life feels like a feat all in itself. Forget about attempting anything…
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Adjusting Focus
A few years ago, I was running around like mad, trying to do all the things that a typical suburban mom was supposed to do. My eldest son Jason, a first-grader, was in school during the week, practiced piano an hour every day and participated in sports activities on top of that. In addition, he…
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For You and Your Children
Who is your God? Several times, God identified Himself as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. Not, God of the sun, moon and stars, God of mercy, grace and forgiveness or the only true God. He was all of those things, but the identity of the nation of Israel was wrapped up in the…