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In: The Blessing of Living, Uncategorized
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Someday history will tell it. They will say they were on a mission to save lives. On this day, a team of international divers faced perilous conditions, with limited life-giving oxygen and adequate space to swim to rescue a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand. Regardless of the outcome, they recognized someone needed a rescue. Selfless Samaritans fought to preserve life at the risk of losing their own. Their brave mission is proof of their humanity and the value they’ve placed on life. In dark, troubled waters with the odds stacked against them, they could still see the blessing in living, theRead More →

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In: Made Real
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The army of women who took to social media with the hashtag #MeToo. The recovering addict, who when asked how he was doing replied, “I’m medium to fair.” The girlfriend who called in the middle of the night to say she’d left her husband and found someone new. The coach who admits the team is ill-prepared and its playbook is outdated. Refreshingly honest— all of them. Their confessions like oxygen in the smog of noise and niceties. Lately, I have a newfound appreciation for these brief encounters with honesty. They are brave and something to behold at a time when being airbrushed and animated isRead More →

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In: Off the Path
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I was a mother. For 171 days, I loved on a child with special needs in hopes of adopting. Finally, I thought, a family. An answered prayer. Without the rose, then perhaps I was meant for the pearl. I joyfully busied myself with home cooked meals, play dates, swim lessons, bath times, and bedtime stories. Play therapy, timeouts, and countless temper tantrums later, love wasn’t enough, and there would be no adoption. The disappointment brings me to this blog entry and a question all believers at one time or another have asked. What happens when our plans fail? The short answer is: our resolve isRead More →

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In: Easter Sunday
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“Noooo! I don’t want to!” At four years old, she’s already fiercely independent. At four years old, my foster daughter has already known more loss, disappointment, and pain than my four decades of adulthood. So when her eyes glare at me with laser-sharp focus from under a furrowed brow, and a tantrum of tears meant to test my resolve (and my love), I think of Jesus. There are no words. Out of all the books I’ve read and Easter Sunday sermons I’ve heard, overflowing with comforting wisdom, prophetic prose, and life lessons, there are still no words adequate, big enough, deep enough to contain andRead More →

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In: The Right People
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There once was a young man who wanted to introduce his new love to his mother. To soften the introduction, he broached the subject with his mother first. Because lineage and social class were important to her, she quickly asked, “Who are her people?” The mother’s motives aside, like any concerned parent, she wanted to know more about the young woman who had won her son’s heart. What cloth was she cut from? What did she want? What kind of company did this young woman keep? They were all legitimate questions just not the right ones. Indeed the people in our lives are a reflectionRead More →

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In: Uncategorized
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“Father, I need you.” Those four simple words have saved me more times than I can count. When ends didn’t meet, and bills were overdue, help arrived. When I needed a way out of a bad situation, a window suddenly opened. When I thought I’d reached the end, there was a staircase beyond what appeared to be the point of no return. That simple prayer, time and again, ushered in help at my greatest point of need. Desperation makes praying knees go deeper. Those four powerful words do battle with pride, plans, and ego-driven power. ASKING FOR HELP Those four words replace pride with humility.Read More →

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In: Uncategorized
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It’s time to come out of the dark. When a gifted singer’s soulful voice fills the sanctuary, we see a light. It inspires us to dance, shout, and lift our hands. When a gifted neurosurgeon’s skillful hands remove a brain tumor, there’s a light illuminating the path to better health for his patient. When a chef creates a culinary masterpiece, there’s a delightful light of pure joy on each plate for her customers. FAITH IS LIGHT So imagine if fear silenced the singer, limited thinking convinced the neurosurgeon there’s no money for medical school, and insecurity kept the chef out of the kitchen. They wouldRead More →