He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name’s sake.4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me;your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - Psalm 23 “Heads against the headrest!” my dad called back to us from the driver seat. His …
The Lord is my Shepherd – Psalm 23, Part 1
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.3He restores my soul.- Psalm 23 My daughter wants to be a mommy when she grows up. My son wants to be a football player. And my youngest, well she just wants to be “tall”. …
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New Years for All Year – Encouragement to read through the whole Bible
We live in a world of endless resources. We have information in print and online, audio and read, free and paid, entertainment and education, tabloid and truth. It can be wonderful. And overwhelming. In a spiritual context, it is no different. We can find Bible studies, articles, sermons, commentary and blog posts for any topic …
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Innocent Distractions
My son recently turned two, and the majority of my days surrounding his birthday were filled with errands and endless tasks prepping for the celebration and a weekend away from home. The whole week felt chaotic, and the morning before our trip, I thought for sure I would lose it, scrambling to somehow get everything …
Christ and competitors for our affections
It was a Saturday morning. I sat poking through my Bible, aimlessly reading some Scripture, hoping to accomplish some Jesus time so I could next scroll through Pinterest. And then I read the first couple verses of John. “In him was life” (John 1:4). I paused and sighed. Of course it is - life is …
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Worship – The Best Advice
“You’re gonna have to worship your way through.” It really wasn’t even part of the sermon. Pastor Joby Martin was just recounting a conversation with a staff member walking through a hard time, and that was his advice. The Lord God, Yahweh, Adonai, Elohim. He is the same today, yesterday and forever. And he is …
The God who is with us. Always.
When everything fades to black... A failed marriage. Another miscarriage. Hurricane devastation. Medical diagnosis. It’s everywhere. Maybe it’s a single moment where the bottom drops out, or maybe it’s a slow fade, but none of us are exempt from these deep dark valleys. I can write all day about the goodness of God or his …
Did I Just Mess Up My Life?
“God knew you would struggle with this,” she told me. I was in well over my head and had felt completely at a loss. What if I messed this whole thing up? I think a lot of us fear ruining pieces of our lives - maybe we can’t get the clarity we want on God’s …
Evil for Good
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them …
A special request
What do you want? What are you after? In the Gospels, there is a story of a mom and two sons who want something. While it isn’t particularly clear whose initial idea it is, ultimately, the trio make their way to Jesus. The mother… came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a …
Soaking in the Son 