Happy Birthday, America! 250 years of FREEDOM! Have you noticed like I have that on someone’s birthday is not the time to talk about how they got it wrong over all their years? No, of course not! It’s the time to celebrate someone’s life. In celebrating, are we saying the person has been perfect for […]

What is there to smile about? Even on our worst day, there is so much to smile about. We can focus on what’s working or on what’s not working. Some of us, particularly the one typing this blog, have a natural propensity towards negativity but thank God for His Word that transforms us into new […]

Does it seem like maybe something’s missing? Ever feel like you just can’t quite put your finger on it but ya just feel off or they seem a little off? Today our staff and a few others got to be part of a church planting course we hosted at our church. One of my favorite […]

…has always seemed odd to me after learning the history of it. But then, it’s really just another expression of happy ANYWAY! Choosing to see the good in things. Appreciating, honoring and remembering all the lives given for what we have today. So as you eat your watermelon, hang out with friends and family, celebrating […]

Do you find yourself “walking on eggshells” with someone in your life? I did not grow up in this environment so it is, honestly, the hardest environment for me to thrive in. There were no hidden landmines. They were right out in the open and everyone knew how eachother felt. That came with other things […]

You didn’t mean to become this guarded. No one plans to become guarded. It happens in response. To pain.To disappointment.To unmet expectations. At first, it feels like strength. Like you’ve learned your lesson.Like you’re wiser now. But over time, something shifts. You don’t just protect yourself from what hurt you;you start protecting yourself from everything […]

Tonight I was blessed to be in a room full of amazing ministers. We were poured into by Pastors David and Nicole Crank who have so graciously created a beautiful space for many of us to develop friendships, seek God together, and learn so much from them and each other for years now. So many […]

Happiness that holds up in hard times A key ingredient to happiness that holds up in hard times is gratitude. Instead of noticing what’s missing, train your brain to notice what’s already there. Gratitude helps us do this. Gratitude doesn’t deny the pain. It just refuses to let pain be the loudest voice in the […]

God has something to say so if we are made in His image, we need to have something to say. There are so many people who want to be “an influencer” or who try to be “a leader”. The lights, camera, action just all seem so alluring, right?! I was taught that reluctant leaders are […]

This Christmas… Everyone around you is feeling something this Christmas: excitement, nostalgia, loss, gratitude, stress, warm and fuzzies. You may be carrying something no one else sees or even knows about. It could be the best news ever that you aren’t sure who you can share it with that will rejoice with you or something […]