reflection

How He Reveals Himself

How He Reveals Himself

For as long as I can remember, I have always found comfort in nature. The crash of the ocean waves, a good thunderstorm, and the sun shining through the clouds are a few of my favorite things. There is an indescribable beauty found in these pieces of the earth that surrounds us. I never thought much of it; I figured it was simply something beautiful so naturally I would cherish it and find peace in it. It wasn’t until recently, when a woman from my bible study group mentioned it, that I even considered this being a form of God revealing Himself to me.

WWJD?

WWJD?

This week I was called to task about an admittedly thoughtless comment I made about a year ago. It was not difficult for me to see how insensitive my comment was. I completely owned my offensive words and made no excuses. The person rejected my apology and chose to hold onto the hurt. Of course, I was disappointed by their response and wanted to beat myself up over it -- after all, I had been wrong!

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Loving Sincerely by Hating Sin

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Loving Sincerely by Hating Sin

The first thing that was destroyed when sin entered into the world was man’s relationship with God. Genesis 3 talks about the Great Fall -- “…I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid” (Genesis 3:10). Despite the disobedience in the Garden of Eden, God still loved Adam and Eve but did not hesitate to call out their sin.

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Embracing Jesus in a New Year

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Embracing Jesus in a New Year

Embracing a new year means something different to each of us. Many will be racing out of 2020 in full sprint. It was a hard year for so many. Job loss. Deaths to family and friends. Isolation. Changes in routine. Missing the normal way of life. Some look back to see how 2020 changed perspective and provided opportunities: More time for what matters most. Keeping their job. Their people were not impacted by coronavirus. No matter what camp you fall under, one thing we can all cling to is that God was faithful all year long, He has been and will always be.

4 Lessons from an Accidental Disciple

4 Lessons from an Accidental Disciple

In the years I’ve spent in camp ministry, I’ve had the privilege of meeting a variety of people from all over the world, who have encouraged me personally and professionally. One particular camp volunteer offered clarity and hope to me in the midst of a confusing, difficult season as a twentysomething working in ministry.

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Brad Paisley: I thought I loved you then

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Brad Paisley: I thought I loved you then

My husband and I celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary later this month. This Brad Paisley song with the words “I thought I loved you then” has been our theme song for many years. (It was not the song we danced to at our wedding…we eloped…a fact he has not lived down in 35 years!) Young love is wonderful and exciting, but “old” love is even richer and has so much more depth.

New Year, New You!

New Year, New You!

I keep hearing people say “new year, new you!” The problem is, I don’t feel new. The year is barely a week old and I feel overwhelmed and overburdened. I feel like I can’t do even one more thing, that the tasks ahead of me are too many. Work. Home. Friends. Family. Laundry. Dinner. Cleaning. I feel pulled in so many directions that I can’t possibly do it all, like I am not enough. I feel like the needs of those around me are too great. I just can’t do it.