It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio Spafford had a choice. He could respond with anger and rage and turn his back on God. And maybe at some point those emotions crossed his heart. The legacy he leaves behind, however, is a response based on his deep faith. He responded in a way that lives out a knowing of Jesus’ words in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Go Back to Go Forward

We’re doing the best we know how to do. We take the cards we are dealt and do the best we can. And some of us have been dealt some pretty crappy cards. Some of us have personal and extended family histories that include abuse, extreme poverty, infidelity, divorce, addiction, emotional abandonment, family secrets, untimely deaths, crime, instability, and a whole host of other stories. Our family stories influence who we are and how we are in the world.

And they do not have to define us.

Book Review: One Faithful Promise

I’m not sure how long this book has been on my shelf. I’m not even sure where it came from. It’s small, about the size of my hand, and thin. Not much to it. And yet it for sure packs a spiritual punch. One Faithful Promise, by Magrey R. deVega, is a must read forContinue reading “Book Review: One Faithful Promise”

Book Review: John Crist’s Delete That

As a pastor with 7 kids (John is one of 8 kids with a pastor father), I learned some lessons on how to love my children better and how to help them feel seen and heard. Those were good lessons for me. I was also reminded of the beauty of the church when we embrace the real selves of those around us (not the masks we wear).

Present Over Perfect Continues

This year, I’m using the Present Over Perfect Guided Journal. I read Shauna Neiquist’s Present Over Perfect book when it came out a few years ago and so much of it just connected with me. When I saw she had created a journal, I knew it was right for this season of my life. The journal has smallContinue reading “Present Over Perfect Continues”

The Invitation in Front of Me

This year, I’m using the Present Over Perfect Guided Journal. I read Shauna Neiquist’s Present Over Perfect book when it came out a few years ago and so much of it just connected with me. When I saw she had created a journal, I knew it was right for this season of my life. The journal has smallContinue reading “The Invitation in Front of Me”