This morning, I turned on my Christmas tree and watched as a warm glow overtook the darkness in my living room. In that instant, my surroundings were transformed. Shadows and shapes that had looked menacing only a moment before were completely neutralized in the light. This reminded me of the words in Isaiah 9:2 & […]
How can we know true peace?
I remember stepping into a new leadership role and staring at my list of responsibilities. “All of this is up to me…” The thought weighed me down with worry. “What if I mess it up? Or what if something happens that’s out of my control? What if the worst happens?” Maybe you’ve ridden this train of […]
How Jesus Handled Big Emotions
Sometimes our emotions are big and loud and refuse to be ignored. Fear screams at us, worry taunts us, and frustration grinds away at any peace we might have otherwise had. It can be overwhelming. But when we face feelings that will not be quieted, we can know we’re not alone. Jesus experienced big emotions, […]
Bragging Rights
What do you brag about? We don’t like to think of ourselves as “braggarts,” do we? But we all have details in our lives that we’re particularly proud of—and these are the topics we like to weave oh-so-subtly into our conversations. So what are the details you’re most proud of? Is it a skill you’ve […]
Focused
2020 has been the year of videoconferences. And one of the worst parts of those meetings is that we can see ourselves the entire time. Never before could we so easily see what we looked like every time we laughed, made conversation or even just listened. It feels like we’re living in front of a […]
Roped Off
I grew up near a beautiful garden. It was a curated landscape painted with great swaths of colorful flowers. But as a child, I darted right past the pretty flowers to the small grove of trees I loved to climb. One of the trees had a low branch I used to hoist myself up into […]