Why Flawed is Better
Years ago, when John and I were dating, there came a time when we were pursuing marriage and dreaming of building a life together. We were standing outside a jewelry store, looking at their display case and admiring the various cuts and sizes of the diamond engagement rings before we went in. I had pointed […]
Women: The Great Commission is Your Permission
I want to open up this topic of gender prejudice by stepping back to a time when the church was newborn, alive and growing after the resurrection, and there was an outpouring of God’s Spirit on both sons and daughters. The gospel was being released in both word and deed as the resurrection of Jesus […]
Is Fear Wrecking Your Marriage?
For the first ten years of my marriage, I struggled with the fear of abandonment. My father and my first pastor had both left their wives for younger women. Because of what I had experienced, I allowed fearful thoughts to linger unchecked in my mind. They didn’t yell; they whispered. Eventually all men leave. Don’t […]
The Scale Can’t Tell You Who You Are
I remember the first day I began to struggle with my body image. I was a competitive swimmer and track athlete in high school. I competed hard, which kept me in pretty good shape. But I tore my Achilles tendon in my junior year of high school, which kept me from training and competing. Although […]
The Risk That Helped Heal My Marriage
When John and I were first married, things proved far more difficult than either of us had imagined. In our youthful naiveté, we thought that because we were in love with each other the transition into marriage would be a smooth one. Shortly into our married life, we were blindsided by reality. Marriage, as much […]
Sticks, Stones, & Broken Bones
“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” Have you ever heard something so ridiculous? Anyone who has ever been crushed under the weight of a snarky comment or snide remark knows the utter falsehood in that statement. Sticks and stones may very well break your bones—but words? Words can […]
God Doesn’t Love His Children Equally
Does exhaustion ever hit you so hard that you fall asleep in the most outrageous places? Recently I had blocked out an afternoon to write, but I dozed off at my computer. Minutes later I abruptly awoke to discover eight pages of the letter “t.” Hardly my best writing to say the least. I needed […]
Don’t Miss Your Season
In my travels, I meet so many who want to fulfill God’s unique call on their life but aren’t quite sure where to begin. I remember the feeling all too well. Years ago when John and I were just starting out, I didn’t write books, travel around, or speak to large audiences from the stage. […]