Tag Archives: Missions

The Value of One

Listen HERE I have spent most of the summers of my adult life teaching the good news of Jesus to hundreds of children. I usually take huge crates of snacks, chalk, bubbles, and crafts to neighborhoods nearby, and the children gather when they see me coming. This summer was different. This summer, I focused onContinue reading “The Value of One”

Grass and Flowers

The wildflowers have overtaken both shoulders of the dirt road where I live. When I walk there, I watch bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds thriving on the pollen. It is a blessing to step out the front door into so much fragrant beauty. Whether the sun is shining on them or hail and wind batter them,Continue reading “Grass and Flowers”

Beautiful Little Fingers

Listen HERE Summer is the season of sidewalk chalk. Both at home and at church, I have crates of sidewalk chalk to keep little fingers busy and to share the Good News through color. Yellow. God is holy, and He made everything.  Black. We sinned and disobeyed God, separating ourselves from him forever.  Red. HeContinue reading “Beautiful Little Fingers”

Spiritual Sacrifices

Listen HERE The little boy motioned to me to bend down closer so that he could speak into my ear. Before then, the only whole sentences I’d heard him utter were, “Have to go bathroom,” and “Is it time to eat yet?” He had a long tale to tell that brought waves of grief asContinue reading “Spiritual Sacrifices”

Accidental Lent, On Purpose Resurrection

Listen HERE Some years, I am very intentional about how I will grow closer to Jesus during the Lenten season. I make elaborate plans about what I will fast from and which devotionals I will read. Perhaps the memories of celebrating Lent during my Catholic school days impress me with the importance of being satisfiedContinue reading “Accidental Lent, On Purpose Resurrection”

Attentive Hearkening

The older I get, the more my hearing is impaired by background noise. Noisy rooms are the worst, and if I am nodding and smiling at you, you can be fairly confident that I can’t hear what you’re saying.  Ephesus was a noisy city.  Besides the regular hustle and bustle of city life, there wasContinue reading “Attentive Hearkening”

The Substance of Hope

The hope of catching a fish keeps the fisherman casting, but it isn’t what he eats for his supper. The substance of hope- the outcome of it- is the tangible result that fills his belly.  This summer, my kids have done a lot of fishing. They have probably hoped more than they’ve caught, but theContinue reading “The Substance of Hope”