Selfies. Everywhere I look. Some cute, some hideous. The whole selfie craze has become a cultural phenomenon. There are even thousands of websites and Youtube videos dedicated to teaching the art of taking a good selfie. We are a culture obsessed. Just this morning I googled selfie products and was astounded to find pages upon pages of links and products. …
You know the feeling. A cold, clenched stomach. Darkness. A pounding heart. All you want to do is hide. You beg the eyes fixed on you to disappear but they won’t. They gape and you wonder what they must think, how they must see you. You feel worthless. Exposed. I’m talking about shame. Is there a more miserable feeling? …
A special thanks to my sweet friend Nancy McAllister for her beautiful thoughts and reflections found straight from God’s creation. Trust me…you don’t want to miss this! Butterflies by Nancy Mcallister There are moments when we see our reflection in the mirror of God’s word. Moments when what is being reflected back isn’t what we thought we were actually portraying …
The life surrendered to God has impact far beyond the grave. And sometimes through the grave. Are you scratching your head? Hang on. I just stumbled upon a fascinating passage while studying God’s Word this morning. I was reading 2 Kings 13:21 and this simple verse leaped out. “Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a …
Euphoria in a Rice Field…I Think Not by Tara Johnson I was getting a bit bored, driving through soggy rice fields on my way to a prison in Arkansas, preparing to speak to inmates on a drizzly Sunday morning. Maybe it was the lack of scenery that made me notice it. Maybe it’s because it was the only building around …
I could hear the fight from the trail below me as I climbed Pinnacle Mountain. Actually, everyone in the vicinity of the snaking path could hear the epic battle of wills between the frustrated father and his stubborn son on the crowded mountainside. “Son, I mean it. Stop and tie your shoe.” “No, I don’t want to.” “You’re going to …
Have you been burdened to do something big for God? Maybe you have a desire for ministry that is burning inside you. In this day and age, the opportunities are endless. Missions, human trafficking, homeless shelters, women’s or men’s ministries, Celebrate Recovery, pregnancy centers, prisons…the possibilities are exciting and dizzying. Thoreau said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” …
Here in the South, we love sweet tea and cornbread, family and friends, pickup trucks and fishing. Walmart cashiers call their customers “Sweetie” and “Honey”. Deer hunting and frog gigging is a thing. Some schools even shut down for the opening day of deer season. Shopping carts are buggies and all sodas are called “Cokes”. Yes, it’s a whole other …
Sour Fruit I’ve had a week. I mean, one of those weeks. A hormonal, pre-teen, an almost two year old who made it his mission in life to scream through every square inch of Walmart when he saw the M&Ms, homeschooling frustrations, recuperating from illness, looming deadlines and a string of speaking engagements to prepare for. Worst of all, no …
The darkened impression molded into the crumbling brick snagged my attention. The ragged brick was nestled into the wall of a fort and, upon seeing it, I sucked in a surprise breath over the precious detail. A detail many around me missed. The fingerprint of a slave. Let me back up for a moment. You see, I finally found my …