Live. Love. Lead.

     As the new year begins, many of us wonder about what God is calling us to do for His kingdom.  Maybe it's publishing a book. Or launching a business. Or adding a new element to an existing one. Maybe it's starting a Bible study or prayer group where there hasn't been one. Or fully committing to a ministry. Maybe it's working harder by the grace of God to cultivate stronger character in wisdom and kindness. Maybe it's pursuing a new role in your career. Perhaps it's finally pursuing a new relationship or cultivating an existing one. Perhaps it's deciding about a graduate program. Or buying a house. You name it.      It's usually during these times that we beg God for a sign. A sign that will come BEFORE we put ourselves out there. A sign reassuring us we are going in the right direction. A sign verifying that God has indeed called us to the task.      There are times when God shows a miraculous "sign" before  we put ourselves out there; g

     We have ALL been part of relationships that did not work out the way we planned. We've experienced the hope of possibility, the brokenness of unmet expectations, and struggled with the realness of unforgiveness it leaves.       Why does unforgiveness hit us so hard in relationships?       I believe part of it is because the person did not become what we wanted and the relationship did not materialize the way we believed it should. And simply put...it hurts...and somebody was on the other end of that hurt. Intentionally or unintentionally the person hit us with the dizzying blow of disappointment.       As I work through my own wilderness journey of faith that includes such a tough part of unforgiveness, I was reminded of a few thoughts. First, "forgiveness is between you and God" (T.Hegg). I don't typically feel like forgiving. I have to work at it and...work some more. Struggle. Fall. Succeed. And when unforgiveness creeps up again (and it does and will); fi

     Faith. Why is it such a difficult word to understand? I have heard the word many times lately and it seems like a common definition of it is to "think hard enough that something will happen." Perhaps that's part of it; but definitely not the entirety.      This morning as I was studying Matthew 15, the Lord struck me with a statement I know I have read dozens of times, "Then Jesus said to her, 'O woman, your faith is great...'"      How did Yeshua know this woman's faith was great? Did other people (the disciples) recognize her for having great faith? What was it about this woman that demonstrated great faith? So I re-read.      According to Matthew 15, this woman approached Yeshua. She was intentional. She asked for mercy. She was humble to know this task was beyond her capabilities. She had all the right ingredients to prayer. But check out vs. 23, "Yeshua did not answer her a word." Wait, I know I have read in the Word about how

     Surely I cannot be the only one who has seriously tried to pray someone out of my life. You know those "thorn in the flesh" kind of people. The kind of people you pray Psalm 35 over like "may their way be slippery..." The kind of people that look for you to fail and when you do (because you're human) they are right there jubilant and ready to remind you of your shortcomings.      Recently, I was studying 1 Samuel 1, which recounts this courageous woman of faith named Hannah. She had one of these kind of people in her life. A hater.  Hannah was barren. Hannah would go to the house of God and be bullied and ridiculed time and time again by Peninnah about her barrenness. This woman made it her aim to poke fun and consistently bring to Hannah's mind that for which she deeply hoped for--a child. This woman threw this in Hannah's face consistently.  I think we all know what that's like at some level.     What was fascinating to me is that Hannah doe

     Growing up in church, teaching about God's love was limited. I believe, there could have been a fear of speaking about God's love because some thought it might somehow diminish His grandiosity, His otherness, & perhaps make Him too human. Or maybe teaching about His love was limited because we, the humans, could not wrap our minds around it especially in a world that has so misused so rich of a word--love.      I struggle trying to comprehend God's love because my sight is often made cloudy by my sin, my all-too-often smallness of faith, & honestly a perspective that limits who God is because it's so focused on my shortcomings.      Recently, the Lord has been working on my heart specifically regarding His love. It started as I was reading through I John.  John writes "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us" (4:16). As I read through the entire epistle, I was struck by the notion of "coming to know" and &q

     Mission. Purpose. Know your calling. To me, those words and phrases mean something. The fact is, every single one of us want to know why we are here. For, what purpose are we where we are? Then, let's go a step further. I submit that for us to know why we are here (our calling/purpose/mission); we must also be in tune with who we are (our identity). It is the "who" and the "for what" that so often eludes individuals, families, organizations; you name it. So often when we and others are confronted with this question of purpose we say or think things like, "to make the world a better place" or "to leave this earth better than I found it." Those are helpful sayings, but lack the specificity and the uniqueness each of us long to actualize.      As I was thinking about this age-old enigma, I also "happened" to be studying through the book of Judges. One of my all-time favs is the work God did on Gideon. Gideon is such the picture