We recently went through the process of joining a new church, our eighth since my husband and I married 34 years ago. No, we are not chronic church-hoppers. We just move a lot. The questions we were asked as part of the new member process got me thinking about my church history. Unlike many who…
We’ve all been there: A long-awaited family vacation, a special event, an important milestone birthday…a highly anticipated celebration. And then, out of the blue, something totally unexpected happens and ruins everything (at least from our human perspective). Can you think of the last time a special occasion or holiday season let you down? Our human…
Last fall, like many of you, I felt tired of the circumstances of the world. I was grumpy with my family, fed up with wearing a mask everywhere I went, wondering if life would ever return to any semblance of normal. My mood was not good and not pleasing to God. One day, while complaining…
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30 NIV) Throughout Scripture we see David praising and worshipping God in a variety of ways—playing the harp, dancing to music, and writing psalms. The psalms are authentic and unfiltered expressions of emotion directed at God. David expressed joy, sorrow, frustration, delight,…
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16 NIV) I love the concept of gratitude. An attitude of gratitude can often be the beginning of so…
Thanksgiving will be here soon, and then everything will be all right. That was my mantra during the autumn of 2004. It began with Hurricane Charley, which sent us scurrying to a nearby elementary school for shelter. While we hunkered down in the cafeteria, Charley pulled a few shingles off our roof and caused other…