Encouragement
Grace, Grace, and More Grace (in unexpected places) It started as an uneventful day, sightseeing with friends in Sarasota, Florida. On impulse, we turned a corner and found ourselves in front of the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy. Hmmm. Intriguing name. We were not on a tight schedule. Why Read more…
4 Bible Reminders that God FINISHES What He Starts It was one of those “aha” moments for me. I was reading my Bible on a regular Wednesday morning, and this amazing thought hit me. Maybe it was the second cup of coffee. Maybe it was the sweetness of the Spirit. Read more…
Simple Tips on How to Pray It is one of the most honest statements anyone has made to me in a long time. This beautiful young mom shared her heart recently when she told me: “I’m just not very good at praying. I don’t know how to pray. So, I Read more…
Why is the Trinity So Important to Christians? It was such a memorable moment. A group of 12 of us were seated around a large table in a conference room where we were spending the week in an intensive class on “Systematic Theology.” I was the only woman in our Read more…
Fabulous Ways to Make Easter about JESUS Walk into any store right now, and you’ll be bombarded with Easter baskets. Easter decorations. Easter candy. Outfits for Easter. Easter toys. Easter cards. Fabulous Ways to Make Easter about JESUS We’ve commercialized and monetized this holiday celebration just like any other one. Read more…
Why did Jesus have to come down to earth? I remember it like it was yesterday. Our phone conversation was brief but poignant. I shared the horrific details of my situation through tears. All she said was, “I’ll be over soon.” In my moment of deepest need and greatest hurt, Read more…
Why do Christians Need to FORGIVE Others? Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation and found yourself growing a little frustrated? Your heart starts to race, your voice gets a little louder, and your face even begins to grimace. I was just having one of these Read more…
Who and “what” is the Holy Spirit? We are taking four weeks to look deeper at the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. You can read post one here – “Who and ‘what’ is the Holy Spirit?” Post two is here – “2 Important Reasons You Need the Power of Read more…
I Think I’ve Figured Out Why People Leave Church For the last two years, I’ve been praying over, thinking over, discussing, and researching the answers to this poignant question: Why are people leaving our churches (and not going anywhere else)? I Think I’ve Figured Out Why People Leave Church I’ve Read more…
How Can I Pray MORE Often and MORE Easily? Prayer. Praying. Prayer life. Truly, I don’t know too many believers who feel GREAT about their prayer lives. It’s that thing that we all want to do more of but never seem to get TO. It’s that discipline that we desire Read more…
The Hidden Promise of Spring (if we are looking) In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree; And, in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! And in the cold and snow of winter, there’s a spring that waits to be, Unrevealed until Read more…
9 Scripture Affirmations for Difficult Days Sometimes life is difficult! It just is. It’s messy. Confusing. Strange. Painful. Perplexing. Unpredictable. Hard. For all of us! 9 Scripture Affirmations for Difficult Days And, during a week when I heard from so many of you who are struggling, I was reminded of Read more…