Ordinary Man

If you’ve read my blog for any period of time, you at have noticed that Hudson Taylor is one of my heroes. I love to quote his saying that “God’s work done in God’s way never lacks God’s supply.” While I certainly believe that to be true, I recently rediscovered another quote: “God isn’t looking…

Death = Abundant Life

Jesus says in John 10:10 that He came to earth to bring life, even abundant life, to mankind. As Americans, we dream of abundant life. Only, we picture abundant life as nice houses, nice cars, and a family size of 3.24 individuals. Somewhere along the lines, we missed the point. The very next verse in…

Preaching to the Heart

This month has been a whirlwind. Spring break in Florida with the middle school Campus Life trip was relaxing in a way, but simultaneously emotionally and spiritually draining. Then came the church Easter cantata, Easter, more visa paperwork, and back to school. Teaching full time and taking college classes has proven to be trying, as…

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God…and the Beaches, too!

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1). Spending spring break with 75 middle school students isn’t most people’s idea of a break, but this week was refreshing to my soul. After a week on the beach, complete with clear water, crashing waves, and white sand, the…

Here and Now

Nearly every day, I have the opportunity to share with someone else about my upcoming move to Papua New Guinea. The reactions vary from genuine excitement to pure shock and disbelief. When the girls in my middle school small group at youth group found out that I was leaving in July, they shrieked with disappointment….

Sermon Reflections

Matthew 5:48 – “Be ye therefore perfect…” Perfect? How do I deal with that? I have trouble being moderately “good;” perfect seems unattainable. The preceding verses tell us that even the heathens like those who like them. To do so is nothing extraordinary. It is difficult to love our enemies, even to joyfully reach out…

Thoughts on 2 Timothy 2

This afternoon, I was asked to lead a Bible study discussion on 2 Timothy 2:1-13. These are a few of the thoughts that I came up with as I was preparing… My child –          The emphasis is not on us, but on Him. He is God, the Almighty, the Creator…and we are his, naturally, His…

Background

As I titled this post, I was reminded of one of my favorite songs is “I Can Play the Background” by Lecrae. The connection seemed arbitrary at first, but as I thought about the lyrics, the association became clearer. The second verse says: I had a dream that I was captain of my soul I…

Associate!

The Lord continues to bless my path before I walk it! Today marks the culmination of my first full week teaching as a paid employee! In addition, I received a call during lunch notifying me that I have been accepted as an Associate Missionary with New Tribes Mission, allowing me to begin the process of…

Caffeine and a Message

Most people would question my sanity if informed that I drove through the night for the sole purpose of stopping to visit old friends prior to attending a mission trip reunion. Perhaps, rightly so. When I arrived at Miracle Mountain Ranch at 5 a.m., I took a short nap, unaffected by the overdose of caffeine…