The passing of Rob and Michelle Reiner touched a tender part of my heart this past month. My own family has dealt generationally with extreme examples of mental illness, resulting in institutionalization at times. There comes a point, especially with parents, where we must seek external support since we can’t handle the magnitude of the illness within the home.  We cannot fathom the mind of Almighty, but we can recognize that he gives us strength in hardship, “For God has no

I recently had to say no to someone I love. It wasn't an unreasonable no--the request exceeded the logistical capacity of the space they were asking to utilize. My instinctive reaction to the disappointment written on someone's face is to soothe; and usually soothing means I overstep my own boundary to rectify the situation. This time, I held the line. I affirmed my friend's emotions, but I maintained the boundary. Fences aren't just gatekeepers; they're protectors. To be a g

“To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Paul represents the most surrendered of us, completely willing to lay down his life for the gospel. But for us in a modern world, living in a country that allows us to practice our faith freely, what does laying down one’s life look like? The simple in answer, in my experience, is something intangible yet pervasively present: my will. How I get things done, why I want them, and the timeline in which they occur. Achievements, attention, acc

The world runs on never-ending scoreboards. From childhood report cards to performance reviews in the workplace, we’re constantly being ranked, measured and compared. Now, in the era of social media, the metrics of success are likes, shares and public recognition. This external validation can become so addictive, that you can easily start to believe that your value fluctuates with your performance/outcomes and what other people think about you. For example, a promotion can ma

“…out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth”. These words from Casting Crown’s song "Voice of Truth" echoed so loudly in my head recently when I was deep in thought about the impacts of childhood trauma. Our earliest relationships teach us a lot about ourselves. From our relationships in the family or at school, ideally, we learn that we are lovable, safe and valuable. However, when those foundational relationships are mar

The prophets in scripture bear testimony to God’s concern for human beings. The prophet acts while the rest of the world is at ease and...

As Christians, we are called to steward natural provision with supernatural means. This means choosing to step out in faith for every...

The radical element of Christian hospitality begins with the Biblical definition of "neighbor". Humans crave comfort. We crave what we...

Why do we worship?   The answer to this question becomes more apparent when we ask these follow-up questions:   Why did God who is...

As I sit in the Dubai airport people watching, I am once again struck by how alike we all are. Men, women, children. Muslim, Hindu,...

My prayer life deepened out of necessity. After a spiritual earthquake of epic proportions cracked the very foundation of my life, not...

We live in a world of hurry, financial demands, health struggles, exhausting traffic and work issues all the while needing to somehow...

Life is always changing. Sadly, we lose people all the time from death, relocations, or even just relationship changes. Recently, my...

I first made a Facebook profile when I was 14. The internet seemed so innocent then; no data-mining or invasive pop-up ads (how’d they...

Have you ever tried to put yourself in Mary’s shoes? She was part of a poor and devout Jewish family. She was engaged to be married to a...

“They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from...

Let’s take a deep dive into a familiar passage to examine what salvation is. John 3:15-18 (NKJV) shares:  That whoever believes in Him...

Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. This colorful season offers so many ways to engage our senses. One I enjoy is to visit an...

Of all the topics related to Christianity this is the most difficult one for me to grapple with, as the concept of being given something...

“But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?'”...

Why have millions been enchanted by DaVinci’s Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile? Or stood enthralled before Michelangelo's David? Or felt swept...

I live in a world of many  colors. The flowers are different colors: pink, yellow, purple, blue, red, and colors I have never seen or...

If you knew you could do anything, and it would never fail, what would you do?  Isn’t it the same the thing when we hear this: “For I...

Hello Precious One. You are very blessed - aren’t you?  Brought into existence by an infinitely loving being, invited into a united...