Sometimes we have to make decisions that just don’t make sense… Sometimes in ministry we have to make decisions that just don’t make sense to the world, to our friends, maybe not even to our families. In fact, we may just find ourselves, standing in front of the mirror one morning, shaking our heads and …
Life Without Dad: Life in the Past Tense
Last summer, two friends kept suggesting we spend a day at this place their parents had taken them to as children. They remembered driving to a lake that dried up each summer. They insisted it was called “Big Dry,” but no one else seemed to know anything about it. I got out a map to …
In God's Arms
Thank you so much for praying for my dad. Many of you have already heard that God’s answer was not the one we expected or hoped for, but we know He “never moves without purpose or plan.” My Dad went home to be with the Lord yesterday morning around 10:30. It came as a great …
NT 12:3 Every Good Gift
Week 12: James and the Fatherless Day 3: Every Good Gift (James 1:17,18) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 Some of the things that happen in our lives don’t seem like gifts, …
NT 11:2 No Room For Doubt
Week 11: James and the Fatherless Day 2: Characteristics and Necessity of Faith, Part I – No Room For Doubt (James 1:6-8) God gives one requirement when He tells us to ask for wisdom: He wants us to do it in faith. Faith is a crucial part of our Christian lives. In fact, we cannot …
NT 10:4 The Work of Experience and Hope
Week 10, Part II: James and the Fatherless Day 4: The Work of Experience and Hope (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-6, Proverbs 13:12; Psalm 39:7) “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” Proverbs 13:12a No one likes disappointment. You hope for something and you hope for something and then — It doesn’t happen. You don’t get the …
Decision Day
Yesterday was decision day. It was the make or break moment for the trip to Kenya, one of many actually. As I’ve mentioned before, this trip is very unexpected. There were no plans or funds set aside for it when the need arose. Originally the plan had been to try to be in Kenya by …
NT 10:1 The Final Stamp
Week 10: The New Testament and Adoption Cont’d Day 1: The Final Stamp – (Ephesians 1:12-14) We always used to joke that in order to get anything done in Russia you had to have two things: A Spravka (certificate) and a Pechat’ (stamp). The stamp was particularly important because even if you had the spravka, …
NT 9:5 The Process And Price Of Adoption
Week 9: The New Testament and Adoption Day 5: The Process and Price of Adoption – (Ephesians 1:3-14) I love the book of Ephesians. If you could get a peek at my Bible, you might think that a pink ink pen had blown up all over the first half of the book. It used to …
NT 6:1 A Child In The Midst
Week 6: The New Testament and Children Day 1: A Child in the Midst – Matthew 18:2-5; Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48 Along the way, the disciples began arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I’m always a little amazed that they actually got up the courage to ask …
