Serve like Rambo
The people I have the privilege of working with in area sober living homes remind me of the movie Rambo. In Rambo: First Blood Part II, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a Vietnam vet who returns courageously to prisoner of war camps to free other POWs. The residents I meet are tasting the freedom of […]
God provides
It’s amazing how God provides in moments when we feel bleak and hopeless. This happens in both big and small ways. Sometimes it’s the small ways that astonish me the most. One afternoon my dryer stopped working. I was stressed, as it was the third large appliance to quit working in our house that week. […]
I wasn’t there when they died
It is one of the most haunting regrets people can have—being absent at the moment a loved one dies. Let me encourage you in two ways. Those who are dying often choose to take their last breath when a loved one is not present. Why? To provide a final, caring gesture protecting the loved one […]
Finding strength in the wait
Isaiah 40:31 reads: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (ESV). In Hebrew, the word for “wait” in Isaiah 40 is “Qavah.” It is such a fantastic word with so […]
God’s love never changes
The mother with the grocery list said, “Do you want to stay in the car with Dad?” The child yelled, “No! Yes! Wait! No! OK, I’ll go into the store with you, Mom.” The father was dumbfounded that in 3.2 seconds the child changed his mind so many times so quickly. Change … Our world […]
The fullness of grace
As I was scrolling recently, a Facebook meme jumped out at me: “The people Paul killed welcomed him into heaven.” That’s an amazing statement. If you were a Christian in Israel after the time of Jesus, Paul was your worst enemy. Paul zealously persecuted Christians, threw them in jail, and killed them. He was directly […]
When God doesn’t fight
“The Lord is a warrior” (Exodus 15:3). I love that verse. God is a fighter, and he never loses a battle! His undefeated record still stands today and will continue forever. So when God fights, is he fighting for you or against you? Does he ever hurl thunderbolts at you because he is burning mad? […]
Stronger for tomorrow
Are you going through a difficult time? Are you asking why God is putting you through this? Is it hard to trust that God is in control? All of us have those moments. “God, why do I have to go through this?” David in the Bible faced some difficult times as a young shepherd. His […]