This is a difficult Thanksgiving season for me. Gratitude has come far easier most years. It has proven strenuous to see the trees in the midst of the woods—it is hard to pick out the good and really great from all the perceived loss and pain. But it’s Thanksgiving and I am choosing to be … Continue reading Grateful
Jesus
In Every Season
All of my life In every season You are still God I have a reason to sing I have a reason to worship “Desert Song” (Hillsong) Yes. Gospel truth there. No matter what season we are in, God is still God. And we do have a reason to sing and worship Him. This is … Continue reading In Every Season
Who{se} Am I?
Sometimes, I liken my brothers to Pa Ingles in the Little House on the Prairie books—always restless, always searching for something else, something different. Never content to both plant trees and stay long enough to enjoy their shade. But the same trait is also present in me. I have an insatiable desire to see more, … Continue reading Who{se} Am I?
All is Grace
Tonight’s post is a little different from my usual posts. This is not a post I wanted to write but the topic is near to my heart and something I feel passionately about. It is also something I have both struggled with and something I understand. Finally, it is something that Jesus died for. And … Continue reading All is Grace
Needed
Tuesday. Blue sky, sunshine, pink and purple flowers dripping from pots and baskets over the newly remodeled city sidewalks and streets. New faces to give and receive greetings and smiles. Cobblestone accents. And the music spilling out from the church on the lake. It was a good day. New, different, and uncertain. But still good. … Continue reading Needed
A Place at the Table
What if I believed that Jesus really, truly loved me? What if I actually lived in the realization that He is for me and not against me? What might life be like if I quit trying to work for my position and just lived in the truth that, because of Jesus, I have a place … Continue reading A Place at the Table
Run to Jesus
In the middle of my conversation with Michael (yes, that is his name) at the Atlanta Airport, he confessed to me that after being treated like less than a human being by the Baptist mission worker that very evening, he went to the bar. “Not only did I go to a bar, but I had … Continue reading Run to Jesus
Michael (Part 1)
While there are many moments and conversations that are favorites from my trip to the Dominican Republic, my absolute best took place in the Atlanta airport on my return trip to Minnesota. Clinics were over, church services finished, last words said, hugs given, final good-byes, prayers whispered, last supper, bags pulled from conveyor belts, more … Continue reading Michael (Part 1)
Love Again
Loss changes us. Loss takes away what we love and leaves a hole that may never get filled. Time does not heal all wounds, nor does love always happen again. Sometimes it is far easier to hold onto a beautiful memory or a special photograph than it is to be vulnerable and love again. It … Continue reading Love Again
Home
It was quite possibly the best ten days of my life. It is also equally possible that they were the most challenging, joyful, sad, beautiful days of my entire life. These fragile, fleeting moments allowed for a far more intentional dependence on Jesus as the only One who really matters and the only One who … Continue reading Home
Down Here Looking Up 