When I was in my twenties, I went through a tough time spiritually. At 17, I had become a fully devoted follower of Christ, but my family was not so sure about my decision. Because of that, they made my life more difficult than it should have been. There was one message I heard during […]
In 1985, my family lived through what we call “the year from hell.” I was 25 years old. Let me tell you what was supposed to happen that year. My parents were supposed to welcome their eleventh grandchild into the world, build their dream retirement home, and celebrate their last child (me!) marrying his forever love. Here’s what happened […]
Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit? Maybe you experienced a strong conviction in a moment of decision or heard a song that sent chills down your arms. While the Holy Spirit certainly helps us to feel certain things, He is much more than something to be felt; He is someone to be followed. How do we […]
One of the best life-planning strategies is to begin with the end in mind—to ask yourself, What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind? Many times, as we dream about what can be, we experience regret about what has been. Thank God He can turn any regret into reward. Scripture tells us how. In Luke 24:13-17, we […]
About this time 40 years ago, I was preparing to graduate with my bachelor’s degree from Oral Roberts University. I was excited to begin pursuing the things God had put on my heart. The problem was—I had much more chaos than confidence about what exactly that was. There were two options upon gradation, and they […]
The other day, I spent time in two different places—a restaurant and a doctor’s office—doing something I hate doing. Waiting. As I waited, I noticed something interesting. In both waiting areas, they gave us something to do while we waited. The restaurants gave us coloring menus (okay, they’re for the kids, but who’s judging?), and the […]
When I was a kid, I used to dream about receiving an invitation to the Super Bowl. I envisioned sitting on the sidelines, with all the stadium food I could handle, yelling passionately as my favorite team took the field and crushed our rival. Have you ever dreamt of an invitation like that? Maybe yours […]
Thirty-three years ago today, on a Sunday morning, I was in our bedroom getting dressed for church. Tamara was thirty-three weeks pregnant with our second child and first daughter, Andrea. She was lying in bed when I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me. I walked over to Tamara, put my hand on her and said, […]
I love gardening. I enjoy tending to plants, watching them produce beautiful fruit or flowers. In doing so, I’ve learned about one unseen but extremely vital part of the plant—the roots. If a plant doesn’t have solid roots, it won’t produce fruit. The roots anchor it and provide it with the nutrients it needs to […]
Our society seems to have grown star-obsessed, craving to know all about elite actors, businesspeople, athletes, and influencers. But if we look deep into the lives of many we perceive to be living their best life, we’ll find they’re really more like us than we thought. They have good and bad days, strengths and limitations, […]