Made to thrive

How Christians can respond to the church shooting in Texas.

My heart, like many of yours, broke this Sunday when the news broke of a mass shooting taking place at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. As a ministry worker, I can assure you this act has repercussions that will be long reaching. The how, why, where and what of church attendance will…

Authority?

Human beings cringe when we hear the word law. We don’t embrace strict rules. Like Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, we much prefer guidelines or suggestions. Something designed into our very core causes us to automatically reject rules and those that would attempt to enforce those rules. You know what it is like,…

Enlightenment

It amazes me how God can, and often does, choose to teach us His truths using whatever method or tool that we are open to at the present moment. In the three decades that I have been a Christian, God has guided me through His Word, His Spirit, and His people teaching and preaching his…

“WHAT IF” YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND

I rarely wade into controversial subjects on social media, quite often it seems like a fruitless endeavor that leaves me having to decide whether to “die on this mountain”, or more often than not, attempt to exit gracefully. This morning, however, I was sent a link to a YouTube video that requires me to put…

HOW TO BETTER ENJOY COMMUNITY

To be a part of a community is to be a part of a group of people, living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. To feel like you are part of a community is to have a sense of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes…

Dents and Scratches

Oh my Darling, yes, it’s true…beautiful things have dents and scratches too!~author unknown I have not lived a life unmarred by hurt and pain. I have not escaped the harsh words and unfair judgments of others. If truth be told, I was born into a family of meager existence. I was picked on and bullied…

When a Path Becomes a Rut

We go through life, more often than not, trudging along a path that was determined years ago. A path that we chose before we understood life, before we understood ourselves fully. As children, our parents, if we were blessed, taught us good habits. These habits were their way of setting us on a path to…

Monday Blues

How many of you woke up this morning and thought “Yes! It’s Monday!”? How many of you hit the floor running, excited to see what this brand new week might offer? Were you excited to roll out of bed? Enthused to head back to the office? This morning, when your clock alarm sounded, were you…

Shaping Our World

My family and I lived in Ghana, West Africa for several years. One of the many things that experience taught me is that a society must be viewed through a “cultural lens”. For example, in Ghana, when we arrived, it was practically taboo for a married couple to show physical affection in a public arena….

Platitudes

Platitudes. We have all heard them. We have all used them. But what really do they mean? The word platitude is defined as a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. Webster’s Dictionary goes on to shed more light on this word: …