In the past six months, areas of California, Oregon, Montana, and western Canada were consumed by flames. Houston was underwater, Idaho and Mexico experienced strong earthquakes, and North Korea tested nuclear bombs. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria devastated...
A new word for a new year. A word I knew—last September—would be my focus for 2018. Last year, my One Word was hope. Holding on to hope carried me through a difficult period. Hope held fear at bay when hubby was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Hope carried me—and...
Trick or treating is supposed to be for children. Unfortunately, I see an adult version of trick or treat all too frequently on social media feeds. The “treats” vary, but they’re all tempting: We're giving away 5,000 free iPhones because the company can’t sell opened...
Who are you? Whoever you are, does your vocabulary reflect your identity? Or are you masquerading as someone you’re not? Lately, I’ve been hearing Christians say things such as: Sending good thoughts your way. What’s your sign? Sending you good vibes. You’re so...
A well-known Christian speaker recently posted on social media that she was suffering from poison oak and asked for the best remedy. She received countless replies—each person absolutely certain their remedy was the most effective. Problem is, the opinions were not...
Is Christian your default status? To put it another way, do you identify as a “Christian” simply because other options such as Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist don’t apply? There’s a significant difference between self-identifying as a Christian—even if you attend...
I’m a broken person. I’m also someone who desires to live in a state of brokenness. Broken or brokenness? They may sound the same, but the difference in my life is huge. During a recent lunch with a friend, she mentioned a book she was reading on brokenness....
Ever feel as if God is trying to tell you something? I confess, I can be dense. But when I read or hear the same thing repeated in a short time, that’s usually an alert that God is trying to get my attention. This time, the subject is salvation. What is salvation?...
Come out and be separate. No. Go out and be salty. Which is it? Are we to be separate or salty? As our society continues to distance itself from its Judeo-Christian roots, Christians find themselves more and more detached from the mainstream by our values. The march...
Been thinking about the choices that fill our days. I’d love to say I’m intentional about every choice I make. But that wouldn’t be true. Often, the need for convenience or a sense of urgency cause me to make choices I later regret. Frequently my decisions are...
Identity: Who Are You? Identity is a hot topic these days. Who are you? More and more people answer this...
Called, Loved, and Kept There’s a lot of talk in Christian circles about being “called,” and rightly so. The...
Is God Your Co-pilot? You may have seen the classic bumper sticker announcing, “God is my co-pilot!” When it...