Am I Growing in Love? I was sitting outside reading, and when I was done, I just sat there for a moment in the quiet. I heard a woodpecker and watched some ants. They were diligently working. They knew their purpose, and they got to it each and every day. I’ve asked myself and God this question before: What is my purpose? I grew up in church, and there was a lot of emphasis put on being called to pastor, be a missionary, or be an evangelist. So, as I sought the Lord, He showe

Feelings, Faith, and a Firm Foundation I heard a phrase on a podcast, and it stopped me... because it’s true. Here’s what was said: "Our fears can become our idols because we put all our focus on them." I would add emotions to that because it’s not just fear. All of our emotions can take hold of us and become something we focus on more than God. I was once someone who let what I felt carry me. I would dive deep into some feelings more than others and let them take hold. The o

Character Impact I was reading in the Book of Ruth the other day and got to chapter 2:10-12, which says, “Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. ‘What have I done to deserve such kindness?’ she asked. ‘I am only a foreigner.’ ‘Yes, I know,’ Boaz replied. ‘But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the

Trust God into the depths of life Trust and obey, for there’s no other way—do you remember that hymn? It’s so good. It tells us that there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. I’ve been thinking about obedience recently... again. It comes up often because I’m a parent, and it makes me think about my own obedience to the Lord. We find it easier to follow and obey someone when we trust them. I know for myself, I will even listen to someone better if I trus

“You’re grounded.” I was thinking about this phrase the other day and how it has such a negative connotation behind it. Sure, we as parents use it as a form of discipline with our kids, but I wanted to know where the phrase actually came from. According to what I found, the punishment of “grounding” comes from aviation. By the 1930s and 1940s, military and civilian authorities used the term “grounded” when an aircraft or pilot was forbidden from flying because of behavior, ru

Living Like We Have a Heavenly Father I’m reading Elisabeth Elliot’s book Joyful Surrender again, and she opens the book by talking about being at a cottage in Texas and taking in the wildlife as they live life around her. She talks about the freedom they have. She quotes something her dad always said, “Said the Robin to the Sparrow, ‘I should really like to know why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so.’ Said the Sparrow to the Robin, ‘Friend, I think that it m