Feast of Joy, in times when life is hard
In a distressing time in my life, God gave me an oasis of joy. At Sukkot, he invited me into the joy that is at once bedrock and a bubbling, underground spring.
Love story? Fairy-tale life? The abuse in Esther
Have we seen Queen Esther as a beloved wife, living a fairy-tale life? If so, we’ve missed the abuse in her story and a surprising key to reigning in life.
Spirit, power, blessing and an undivided heart
Elijah was human, like us. The spirit and power in his life had everything to do with the God who gave them, and the undivided heart that welcomed them.
Fear and love: When your world has changed
God taught them not to be driven by panic. He showed them the way of love. When our world has changed in frightening ways, their story can help us too.
A spirit like Caleb’s – fully following God
At a crucial moment in my life, Henry Blackaby and Caleb of old encouraged me: Regardless which way anyone else is rowing, you be filled with following God.
You have circled this mountain long enough
It may be in a month that’s little noticed when the earth moves under you. And God says, “You’ve stayed here long enough.” And something within you shifts.
When evil seems invincible: Two surprising sources of hope
Where two malignant narcissists ruled, so did ruthlessness. Where evil seemed invincible, Mordecai and Esther seized on two surprising sources of hope and life.
Code blue! Breathing crises in the church
When God’s people push against, instead of moving with, his Spirit, he knows the situation is dire. He sounds the alarm: My people aren’t breathing! Code blue!
Tessa and the lion’s den
My finicky and beloved cat Tessa lived for 17 years. She inspired this post one night in 2004 – the year I first found myself in a den with lions that tear people apart.
I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
The purpose of the wilderness
Wilderness strips life bare. It knocks all the supports out from under us. Circumstances may scream at us - and we may scream at God - that he has brought us there to kill us. And yet, it's in the wilderness that we may hear him say, “I have carried you on eagles’ wings to bring you to myself.”