It's been one month since we emptied the contents of our home into a dumpster. After our house fire, a friend texted to see how I was faring and to find out how she could pray specifically. She asked, "Are you grieving the loss of any particular thing?" I wanted to answer honestly, but I could not think of one lost item that had caused me more grief than another. The truth was, I was heartbroken and sick to my stomach over the loss of it all. For twenty years, we've worked to make a … [Read more...]

On a gorgeous May evening, the night before our middle son Spencer's high school graduation, our house caught on fire. Our family and our pets are all safe. Uprooted, but doing well overall. In the past two weeks, our family, church family, friends, and community have absolutely bent over backward to anticipate our needs and meet them. We have been first-hand witnesses and beneficiaries of the body of Christ working together, each member doing its part (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). It has been … [Read more...]

Based on the gospel accounts in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20. I know Easter Day has come and gone, but there was one moment from the Easter story that wouldn’t leave me even after I’d picked all the plastic grass out of my carpet. Every time I read the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, the Sunday morning scene captivates me. Though Bible scholars disagree about the chronology presented in the four gospel accounts, Jesus' resurrection rings true from every … [Read more...]

What does Thanksgiving have to do with the Temptation of Christ? Well, maybe not much at first glance, but I keep thinking about it after the story I wrote for you last week. When Jesus was vulnerable, alone, hungry, and tired, he fell back on his Father's true words and wielded them against the devil's deceptive suggestions. For Jesus, the way out of temptation and accusation was to quote God's word to talk back to the devil. I, on the other hand, am prone to entertain the devil's … [Read more...]

It’s no big secret that Peter is one of my favorite characters in the New Testament, and it’s not because he’s always a shining example of Christlikeness. I suspect many of us relate to Peter because he’s so…well, so much like us. He was the disciple who worked all night long. He lent Jesus his boat and ferried him just beyond the shore where Jesus could teach the crowds with a little breathing room. Peter recognized power when he saw it, and he was quick to leave his nets and follow Jesus. … [Read more...]