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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 →

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In: Finish the Race
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The Summer Olympics is inspiring. Consider the world’s fastest man as he comes off the block like his namesake: Bolt. The optical illusion of a race track makes it appear as though he’s behind until the lanes become straight and even. Like a gazelle, Usain Bolt floats effortlessly by his opponents; his feet are the first to cross the finish line. As he sprints to the end, a fist pound on his chest has become his trademark declaration to the all who are witnessing his greatness that he is not a quitter. He is a champion. In the blaze of Bolt’s glory, few of usRead More →

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In: But Not For Grace
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It was supposed to be a quick two-hour drive from home back to college after a long weekend with family. As she made her way down the two-lane highway, she took in the familiar landscape. Small towns and farmland whizzed by in her side view mirror as the radio played. It was beautiful. And then, it wasn’t. Clunk, clunk, clunk! She could feel her car slowing down no matter how hard she pressed on the gas pedal. Was it the steering wheel? Had the transmission gone out? Clunk, clunk, clunk Suddenly, the car stopped. One of the rear tires looked like melted rubber crunched underneathRead More →

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In: Uncategorized
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When Stephen Curry rains consecutive threes from 30 feet out. When Whitney Houston hit that high note at the Super Bowl XXV in 1991. When your pastor’s sermon hits you like a bolt of lightning.   It’s a blessing to have a front row seat to someone else’s undeniable power and awe-inspiring skills. It’s even better when that fierceness is your own. Words on paper and bringing those words to life through speaking sets me on fire. Experiencing firsthand how those words can make a difference is everything.  There’s a powerful ripple effect when a person pursues their passion and goes full throttle in the ways inRead More →

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In: Bless YOU
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Before a plane takes flight, the airline stewardess instructs passengers on how to survive should things go terribly wrong. She uses hand gestures to help a less-than-attentive crowd remember the life-saving information. It’s the instructions about the oxygen mask, specifically for parents or caretakers of another passenger, that resonate with me. “Put on your oxygen mask first,” the flight attendant commands the crew and their precious cargo. The message is simple: save yourself first so that you rescue someone else. If you’re gasping for air, can you really help someone else breathe?  We know that when we bless others it ultimately blesses us (Genesis 12:2).Read More →

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In: Be New, Uncategorized
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After a little more than a year at my first job after college, I decided minimum wage and twelve-hour work days just wasn’t God’s calling on my life. So I packed up my belongings (which wasn’t much) and moved to another city to attend graduate school. A few years later, I would once again load up a U-Haul truck with my corkboard furniture, a futon, and my ambition to drive halfway across the country to another state. I knew not one soul. No friends. No family. Nothing but a job and an ambitious, crazy plan. I was an adventurous stranger in a foreign land. ThenRead More →

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In: Good Ground
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I was attending a celebration for a friend when a somewhat shy, sweet young woman made her way across the room to greet me. Accompanied by her mother, she asked me about my career and my recent career transition. I told her it was not only a leap of faith, but a step of faith. I had to believe that no matter where I would eventually place my feet, God was there waiting, providing “good ground” to stand upon. She smiled and admitted that approaching me—a complete stranger—was a bit intimidating, but a gentle nudge from her mother had given her the courage. “Ahh! That’sRead More →

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In: Uncategorized
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If joy had a theme song it might be “Gonna Fly Now” from the movie Rocky. The embattled prizefighter conquers the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum. With outstretched arms pointed to heaven, he looks out at the city skyline and declares victory over adversity, challenge, and his humble beginnings.  That iconic movie scene is timeless; it is joy personified on the big screen. Here is a man who made a choice to stay in the fight; he saw it through, knowing it would not be the last of life’s hurdles, knowing he could lose. In much the same way, joy is a choice. It’s aRead More →