One of my favorite things I own, is a piece of paper I found wedged between sheets of music, in an old piano bench that was given to me by my mother in-law. On one side of the paper is a list of praise and worship songs she had used to lead worship. On the other side, in the very...
I love my life. I really do! But once in a while, just for a second, I’ll see somebody else doing something that just seems more glamorous. One day I was in just that type of mood. I was exhausted and was being stretched way beyond my comfort zone. I started grumbling about how ‘glamorous’ everyone else’s life seemed to...
While I was in college at ORU, I met one of my dearest lifelong BFF’s, Katie Luce. Katie is adorable. She’s this tiny little firecracker of a woman, who’s impacted many lives in ministry, and gratefully, she’s one of those friends who just ‘gets me.’ With over 30 years of friendship under our belts, we have been through so much...
As a pastor, it is one of my favorite things to pray with people regarding their deepest needs. Over years of praying, I’ve found that most of these needs are centered on one thing—relationships. Why? Because relationships are what our lives are centered on. We were created with a desire to be in good, healthy partnerships with those around us. God made...
Paul warns Timothy of the pitfalls that might be ahead of him (the ones Paul stumbled on and by the grace of God got out of). Secondly, Paul reminds Timothy of his Godly heritage both biologically and spiritually. And, then Paul gives Timothy foresighted vision for the years ahead of him, and Paul tells Timothy of the things to avoid and the...
The apostle Paul made an amazing statement to the Philippians church. He said in chapter four of his letter to them, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice." He told them his life and his words demonstrated the pattern to follow. There was no discrepancy between the two. My husband...
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” Philippians 4:6-7a (NLT) If ever I needed peace, it was that moment. My 18-month-old daughter, Dana, was on the other side of the closed hospital door, being prepped for...
Have you ever felt like you are not good enough? Insignificant? Unqualified? God often chooses to use someone, somewhere to do something completely unexpected, even miraculous. This way, God gets the credit, without any question (I Corinthians 1:26-31). I’m anticipating my big God to do great things in our small town of Batavia, Ohio! And, because of the examples in God’s...
“Open your mouth for the speechless in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” – Proverbs 31:8-9 When I was 11 years old, my father took me to Haiti on a mission’s trip. I never dreamt that 25 years later, I would pack my bags and move...
John liked to tell a story from his childhood about a big, old, spooky two-story house that he, his brother, Jack, and their friends thought was haunted. One late fall evening, Jack and John were sitting on a curb across the street from that foreboding empty house. Jack was about ten years old, and John was eight. Both were fearful,...