On Pain and Suffering

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 I’ve been thinking about pain and suffering a lot lately. It seems that I am surrounded by people who are experiencing immense pain—far more than anyone should have to handle. Just a few examples: […]

Forbidden Fruit

I remember when my husband first confessed to me that he had an attraction to another woman. I responded, “Temptation is not a problem. It’s what you do with that temptation.” At that time, we sought counseling. I allowed him to talk about his feelings openly, acting as a counselor to him myself. I did […]

When God Interrupts

Several years ago, my normal Christian life was interrupted. I heard God’s voice calling me out of my comfort zone. He was calling me to develop my faith as never before. He was calling me to a new life, a new adventure. He was calling me into deeper waters. Truthfully, I had no idea how […]

Expect the Unexpected

I started 2014 with such joy and excitement. There was an amazing anticipation that this year was going to be incredible! God very clearly gave me Joshua 3:5 as my verse for the year: Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.” God clearly gave me […]

Looking for Mr. Right

Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “…Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite […]

DQ Dena

Several years ago, our church started a karate school. It’s an amazing ministry which seeks to bring people from the community in to learn karate, and in the process they are exposed to the gospel. I encourage you to look up ABKA Karate and Sensei Denny Holzbauer to learn more, but that’s not my purpose […]

Life is a Marathon

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Although I am nowhere near ready to run another long-distance event right now, I have found myself reflecting frequently on my half-marathon last year. While I love the sense of accomplishment from training for and completing such a challenging event, I had no idea the impact it would […]

God of the Impossible

God is the God of the Impossible. From where I stand today, it looks impossible that God’s promise to me can ever be fulfilled. As I’ve contemplated my situation, how this promise He made me faded into oblivion, I’ve come to realize that He is only setting the stage to do what He does best—show […]

Around and Around I Go

Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this […]

Am I Going Crazy?

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly […]