Today, I have a special guest post by my friend and fellow BLAST participant Robin Patchen. Be sure to check out her blog! I have a confession to make: I have three teenagers, and all of them have rebelled to one degree or another. In fact, one rebelled so thoroughly, he spent what should…
“My [loved one] passed away last week. … Now that I’m older and have traversed this experience I just walk around wondering have the flood gates now opened? Who’s next? What sudden tragedy will happen around the corner?” Loss and fear seem to go hand-in-hand. We lose someone important and suddenly we fear losing those…
Have I told you about my son’s pigs? For the second year, my son has chosen as an extra-curricular activity pigs. Yes, live, eating, drinking, pooping, smelly pigs. Cole decided to join Future Farmers of America (FFA) last year, and he is absolutely excelling! He shows pigs. He judges livestock. And he is surrounded by…
Have you ever wondered how God defines a super hero? As I was reading through Judges recently, I found a passage in which God refers to Gideon as a hero. The angel of the Lord appeared to [Gideon] and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12 The story of Gideon has always…
Labels. We all wear labels. Some labels are good; some not so good. Some have a negative impact on the way we view ourselves, on the way we think others see us. Others give us the confidence to walk forward, believing we are worthy of the good things in life. Some tell us we have…
The Facebook memories popped up today, memories from four years ago. My daughter just ran through the house chasing her brother. She was carrying a baseball bat, and she yelled, “I’ve got a bat and I’m not afraid to use it!” Perhaps this game has gotten a little out of control! My mind flashed back…
Jacob and Esau. The twins who fought, even in the womb. Animosity ran thick as they battled for their parents’ affection. Esau was loved by his father, and Jacob was his mother’s favorite. It started with the birthright, when Jacob convinced his starving brother to sell it for a bowl of soup. Then, with his…
There’s a movie called, “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” I can’t say I have ever watched the movie, but there are times I feel that way about my God. Have you ever really looked at the things God asked people to do? He told Noah to build a huge boat because He was going to…
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 If only we had enough faith… How many times have…
If I could sum up 2016 with one word it would be loss. Yes, we have had some wonderful blessings this year, but the blessings have been far outweighed by huge losses. And, as the holidays approach, the losses are weighing even heavier upon our hearts. I’ve spent the last eight months doing everything I…
Let’s face it: sometimes life just sucks. I’m not one to use any type of profanity, but I’m not sure there’s any other way to describe 2016. It’s been an unbelievably difficult year, filled with life-changing realities that have permanently altered our lives. And here we are, with the holidays upon us, trying to figure…
The sound of the phone startled me awake. “Hello,” I managed, struggling to wake from a deep sleep. “Something’s wrong with Cassie,” came the frightened voice on the other end of the phone. I bolted from my bed and rushed to her room. There sat Cassie’s friend who was spending the night, terrified. And there…