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 …
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.” …
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 …
Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Little Rock, Arkansas was a happening place to be yesterday. Everywhere I looked there were children, dogs, mothers and fathers, laughing friends, college students and the retired. It was a beautiful day to be outside. There was also a lot of bickering, most of it coming from unwilling friends and family members being guilted into …
I don’t like waiting. I’ll admit it. Especially when I sense something good just around the bend. Sometimes the anticipation is sweet. Other times it’s almost unbearable. Agonizing. Like waiting in line for Splash Mountain at Disney World in 100 degree heat. (No fast passes included.) In 2003, at the encouragement of a friend, I sent a package of children’s …
Have you ever been stuck dangling from the top of a roller coaster? Our family recently vacationed at a theme park and, being a roller coaster aficionado, I couldn’t wait to ride the new coaster. It promised to be a dizzying, speeding bullet with large twists, loops and a stomach clenching drop. As we rounded the corner to get in …
Ah, the infamous ‘comfort zone’. We crave it. We want it. It gives a sense of security and well-being, doesn’t it? But here’s the thing: the comfort zone is actually quite deceptive. It gives us the illusion of security, the illusion of happiness, of comfort. But oftentimes it’s nothing more than a lie spilling from the lips of the enemy …
As I walked down our road for some early morning exercise, I was surprised to hear the distinct cry of a hawk overhead. I shrugged the sound away, assuming he was out for a little breakfast. A minute later, I heard the hawk screech again. Squinting against the sunlight, I shaded my eyes and searched for the source of the …
God makes the impossible possible. I was recently studying Psalm 134, the last of the Psalms of Ascent. The psalmist encourages the people to bless the Lord but ends with, “May the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.” Something about the Psalm left me troubled and I finally figured out why. I can bless God all …