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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 →

On:
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 The coach who admits the team is ill-prepared and its playbook is outdated.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: 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 →

On:
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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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 →

On:
In: The Harmony of Life
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Every season has a distinct sound if you stop for a moment and pay close attention. The summer buzzes with bees, water sprinklers spit and tick, the shrieks and screams of kids playing on the block add to the symphony. Then fall eases in like cool jazz with a subtle breeze that rustles leaves, making Samba shakers out of tree branches. There’s a rhythm, a harmony. That’s how life should be. When life is in order and we’ve courageously removed all that isn’t serving our growth and purpose, there’s flow; we’re in synch. Chaos and confusion give way to peace. Add a little fun andRead More →

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In: Uncategorized
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Doctors tell us at least 30-minutes of exercise a day can keep cardiovascular disease away. Dieticians urge us to eat plenty of salmon, walnuts and berries to ward off heart disease as well. The prescription for treating the greatest muscle in our body seems simple with the onus on us to do our part. But what about the remedy for a heart that has weathered many storms? A good friend often says, “I’ve got a grown woman’s heart. It’s been duct-taped, super-glued, rubber-banded, paper-clipped and stapled.” Her wit and candor about relationship trials always solicit some good laughter. In all seriousness, what she means is:Read More →

On:
In: Ponder the Path
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Where am I going? How will I get there? Will I make it? Who will come with me? Will I travel alone? Whether you consider it a midlife crisis or careful contemplation at any age, there comes a time in everyone’s life when we wrestle with direction. Which way do we go? The wisdom of Solomon urges, “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:26-27 NIV) Why isn’t the path just laid out before us with neon billboards and bright laneRead More →