Our Blog
The Presence of God is given first place.
"Everybody squirt!" Suddenly 100 women whip out their spray bottles and begin to squirt their neighbor. Shrieking and laughing, we all cool down from the 105 degree heat. OK, back to the teaching... Our first multi-day conference for women is in progress. It's a first for most. A bit tentative and shy at first, they are warming up to the idea of a safe place where camaraderie and fun are core values. They will spend three full days here in a...
Prayer
A quick read of any part of the Bible will reveal that prayer holds a major place in the Scriptures. MOSES. His prayers had more to do with the outcome of the battle than did the hand-to-hand fighting of Joshua or his soldiers in this clash with the Amalekites. “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” (Exodus 17:11) ESTHER. Even though Esther was the queen, approaching the king’s throne uninvited could result in her execution. She had an important request to make of the monarch, but before...
Voice of Authority
For my twelfth birthday, my parents wanted to bless me with an unforgettable present, a day on a charter fishing boat. It was definitely one of the most memorable days in my life. I can still remember the anticipation as we headed out of the harbor. I was going to catch a big ol’ salmon. But once we cleared the jetty and hit the open ocean, the roller coaster began. Up a “gentle” swell (captain’s words) and then down. Up, down, up, down. One second my stomach was floating, and the next it was crashing back to earth. I spent...
Ministry like Jesus’
The people who had gathered in Nazareth’s synagogue had no idea that they would come face-to-face with the long-awaited Messiah that day. Like other Sabbaths, Jesus stood to read the Scriptures. This time He unrolled the scroll of Isaiah and began reading, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18–19) When finished, He sat back down and...
Stay Alert!
“Early to bed, early to rise.” I didn’t appreciate the saying because I’m a night owl. I tend to get my second wind around midnight. While I was working and our kids were small, I could force myself to get up early, but now that I’m retired, only an occasional doctor’s visit is a reason to jump out of bed (more like drag myself out of bed) at the first light of day. Even today, I’ll only sleep about an hour and then get back up for a couple hours. I do most of my writing during those late-night times....