In her book Tramp for the Lord, Corrie ten Boom tells the story of an old woman she met in Russia in the time of the Communist persecution of Christians during the Cold War: The old woman was lying on a small sofa propped up by pillows. Her body was bent and twisted almost beyond recognition by the dread disease of multiple sclerosis. Her aged husband spent all his time caring for her since she was unable to move off the sofa … [The only part of her body she could control was her right hand. And with the index…

“I can’t do this. I don’t know how.” “It’s too hard. I’m not any good at this kind of stuff.” “I’m not qualified.” “I’m too old.” “I’m too young.” “What if I fail?” “People will laugh at me.” “It’s too risky.” “There are people better at this than I am.” Do any of these excuses sound familiar? I confess, several of them, if not all of them, have found their way into my but-I-can’t repertoire at some point. So insecure. So scared. Sometimes, just so lazy. The older I get, the more I’m learning this simple, terrifying truth: usually, what…

Something big is coming in 2025, but I’m not yet at liberty to say exactly what. I’ll still be writing, speaking, teaching body language and about dangerous personalities. Creating music and singing and homeschooling my son. So many opportunities. So many people to meet and share with. An abundance of moments to love, worship, weep, and rejoice. But this new thing God is doing… well, let’s just say when the opportunity was presented, I hit my knees in shock. Lord, I can’t do this. I don’t know how. Pick someone else. Anyone else. I sounded just like Moses when God…

Inspiration comes from all kinds of places. Each Christmas, I ask God to help me see the nativity with fresh eyes. I read the traditional passages from Matthew and Luke, I soak in the prophecies of Jesus’ birth from the Old Testament and look up testimonies from historians like Josephus. I’ve explored the stories of the shepherds, the Magi, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, and have even pondered the wonder from the angels who announced His birth. But this year, God used an artist to help me see the birth of Christ from a new angle. I have long been a…

Mother's Day is a day I both cherish and dread. Cherish, because of the sweet bond my three living children and I share. We giggle and play, worship and love. Yet, I also dread this holiday too. Why? Because I have two babies in heaven. I wouldn't wish them back for anything. (I often tell my audiences that I have five children. Two are with Jesus and the other three are stuck with me.)  But Mother's Day is a sharp reminder of their absence in my arms. It fuels my longing for little Taylor and Morgan and resurrects memories of…

For the past several weeks, I've sensed God pressing the word 'chosen' into my heart. After taking some time to mull it over, I finally looked up the chosen in the Greek. I zeroed in on the descriptor 'select'. I've heard about sanctification all my life, being chosen and set aside for a specific purpose, but when I saw 'favorite', I stumbled a bit. Favorite? Isn't it a bit sanctimonious to yourself God's favorite? Shouldn't I be thinking about a word like 'holy'? Something that's meant to transform my behavior into the image of Jesus? After meditating on this thought,…