I needed to remember this…

I live in East Tennessee. I used to live in Asheville, NC. These places are home to me, and the stories and photos from Western North Carolina and Upper East Tennessee are gut-wrenching to watch. But there is something else I noticed as I watched. Our government may broken and corrupt, our world may beContinue reading “I needed to remember this…”

But what if they say, “Don’t judge me.”?

Like me, you probably hear the phrase “don’t judge” a lot in our world and often out of the mouths of Christians. But the Bible says, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”Hebrews‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬ If we wantContinue reading “But what if they say, “Don’t judge me.”?”

Is God shaking us?

What if we all have to go through hard days for there to be real revival—for more lost to be found? Am I okay with that? Are you? Let me be clear, I want the election to go the way of conservatives, and values, and religious freedom. I’ll vote that way and think others shouldContinue reading “Is God shaking us?”

If tomorrow never comes…

It’s 9/11.And we ought to all stop.And remember. Today, we should think about those who died —the heroes who ran in and those trapped, huddled in fear. It took five years to build the twin towers. It took 102 minutes from the first impact on the north tower for them both to fall. In 102Continue reading “If tomorrow never comes…”

Hold on. It’s worth it.

Surely, I’m not the only one who used to believe that once you become a Christian life will go easy. But the truth is, real faith is far from easy. The book of Luke tells us, Simeon’s eyes finally beheld the Promised One. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, thisContinue reading “Hold on. It’s worth it.”

Please make them mercifully miserable.

I used to think if I just tried really hard to obey God, things would go well with me. You know, circumstantially, this world, well. But it seems there is a longer, eternal, better view. And when God says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is the wayContinue reading “Please make them mercifully miserable.”

What would you do?

What would you do?What would you choose?Could you stand strong? It’s famous. We know the story. And we are tempted to breeze right through it. But slow down… This dilemma, (listen, that we may all face sooner, rather than later, the way our world is headed), is sobering and makes for far greater than aContinue reading “What would you do?”

More time? Maybe not.

The book of Daniel, chapter 5, tells about a new king assuming the throne. Belshazzar holds a great feast for thousands and many drink from the vessels taken from the temple of God. As they drank, they worshipped the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. (If plastic would have been around, surely,Continue reading “More time? Maybe not.”

Will your kids be able to stand in hard days?

This remains one of the most shared things I’ve ever written. In these hard days, I felt it important to share again. It’s hard truth, but there is HOPE! —- They are some of the most miserable people I know–young adults who haven’t really picked a side. They try to live in two worlds—the oneContinue reading “Will your kids be able to stand in hard days?”

Are you worshipping a false god? How can you know?

Daniel supernaturally described Nebuchadnezzar‘s dream down to the toes of the image Nebuchadnezzar had seen, and then Daniel interprets all that the dream meant. He tells Nebuchadnezzar that the dream and its meaning had been revealed to him by God. (Daniel 2:27-49) Nebuchadnezzar is amazed. He falls prostrate before his slave, Daniel, and says, “TrulyContinue reading “Are you worshipping a false god? How can you know?”

The Great Lie of the Pro-Choice Movement

My heart breaks as I watch those at the DNC celebrating the taking of innocent little lives. They wear t-shirts that read “abortion girly”, cheer wildly as women describe their abortions, and have parked a mobile abortion truck outside their convention like a taco truck. Not that long ago, abortion activists said they wanted abortionContinue reading “The Great Lie of the Pro-Choice Movement”

What we tolerate our children will embrace.

Good-looking. Young. Smart. Worldly, evil, Nebuchadnezzar set his sights on these. He endeavored to teach them the ways of his world so they might serve him well. For three years, they would be given the best of the best of the king’s delicacies and wine. But Daniel. He purposed in his heart not to defileContinue reading “What we tolerate our children will embrace.”

The SIN Elephant in the Room

“Let’s love people enough to help them leave their own pity parties so they can spend their lives drawing attention to God rather than themselves.” “The compassionate side of you will be tempted to comfort everyone who weeps, but that isn’t always the most loving thing to do for them.” —Francis Chan Sometimes, we absolutelyContinue reading “The SIN Elephant in the Room”

I need to read these words today…

I needed to read these words from the old preacher-teacher, Oswald Chambers, today (pictured with his daughter)– “Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutelyContinue reading “I need to read these words today…”

Don’t be silent.

Something is off.Wrong.I feel it in my spirit. I look at our world, specifically at our country, and I see things happening at a pace I never thought possible. Do you see it too? Fewer and fewer people are thinking for themselves or even have the opportunity to do so. Instead, hidden minions, working behindContinue reading “Don’t be silent.”

Markets are crashing. Rumors of War.

I picked up my Bible. Markets are crashing. There are rumors of wars. I picked up my Bible. As I opened to my daily reading, I sighed. Oh, I’d really rather be in the Psalms or one of Paul’s letters… but my reading plan has me in the Old Testament-2 Chronicles 32 and 33. ButContinue reading “Markets are crashing. Rumors of War.”

Video from Kim and a message on HOPE

These days are hard. How are we to live with hope? What does that look like in the day to day? I don’t often share from my speaking events, but I feel God especially poured out these words earlier this year when it was especially hard — it was just after my Dad went homeContinue reading “Video from Kim and a message on HOPE”

When Your Problems Seem Bigger Than Your Faith

There are THOSE moments when the stuff of this life simply sucks you dry. And you are a Christian. There are days where the problems scream, and everything in you has to fight to remember truth. There are days the battle seems great and the blessings feel, well, small. Real small. And stress, and worry,Continue reading “When Your Problems Seem Bigger Than Your Faith”

What younger women in the faith want from older ones

Mabel (our Lhaso Apso grand dog) sat in my lap on our screen porch watching our older dog Macy simply relax as the thunderstorm rolled by. She looked at Macy, she looked at me, then she laid her little head down as if she had reasoned that if Macy were okay, she was too. AndContinue reading “What younger women in the faith want from older ones”

What we really need…

When I think about this crazy world, I think about my daddy. We will gather after church today as a family to celebrate and remember my precious dad on his birthday—he passed away in January. We will pray and thank the Lord for this man who found church and then the hope of Jesus. MyContinue reading “What we really need…”