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This is our butterfly effect moment. Here’s what I mean by that. I was an imaginative child, always singing into a hairbrush, acting out a scene in a mirror or frolicking about like a princess fairy. But when my playtime theatrics became too raucous, my great grandmother’s stern warning was like a sharp tack piercing a balloon. “Get somewhere and sit down!” Her words were clear, incisive, and matter of fact. That simple command meant I was to quiet myself— immediately. Find myself a comfortable seat and be still. Anyone who was raised under old school parenting knows exactly what I mean. There was no negotiating.Read More →

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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 The coach who admits the team is ill-prepared and its playbook is outdated.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: 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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“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: Cover Yourself
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Contact and cover is a tactic often used by officers or soldiers in potentially dangerous situations. The basic goal is to watch another person’s back, shielding them from harm to prevent misfortune. In life, we see this time and again: the grandmother who prayed for us, the father who kept watch as we slept at night, the friend who never abandoned their post. Some of us are experts at covering others, but not necessarily ourselves. Our prayer list may be long, filled with the names of church friends, sister friends, their marriages and children, the sick and shut-in, workplace drama, family drama, and even babyRead More →