Are there any people in your life that are either impossible to schedule anything with, or that are just ridiculously schedule oriented? I overheard a conversation the other day wh... read more
Have you ever had someone in your life that you could count on indefinitely? No matter the chore, fear, trouble, or task this person is your go-to? For me it’s my mom and dad... read more
Have you ever had a spiritual breakthrough in an area of your life due to the way a song helped you reevaluate what you’d been doing? For me I feel like the lessons I’v... read more
Recently there have been numerous instances in the news where people believed their reputation preceded them and that their name should carry weight. The embarrassing moment was wh... read more
What does it take for you to get thrown off your game or discouraged? (I forgot my coffee this morning, so I wasn’t off to a great start myself. ) Would a flat tire on the way... read more
Often while my husband and I are out on our early morning walks, we pass neighbors walking their dogs. Recently we witnessed a lady holding her phone in one hand as a flashlight, t... read more
There was a season when I spent every Sunday afternoon in the women’s wing of the local county jail during visiting hours. There wasn’t much positive to see, even in th... read more
When my daughter was younger she loved playing soccer. She was a good player but she was timid. Once, I even saw a player on her own team steal the ball from her! Over the 13 years... read more
When people end relationships, they sometimes use phrases like, “I just can’t make you happy”, “I’m not happy anymore”, or “I just want yo... read more
As Jon shared on Sunday, 1998 was a special season for a special pitcher named Orel Hershiser. He was not a big fella, but his big heart earned him the nickname The Bulldog. Among ... read more
In The Extra Mile series we are in right now, we’re putting the spotlight on some godly attributes that make us people who go above and beyond—hence the name, The Extra... read more
Jesus didn’t ask the question above because He doubted His power to heal. It was rhetorical. Those overhearing this were indirectly directed to take note. Another detail to n... read more
As a parent, I can tell you that some of the very best moments of parenting are when your kids express real gratitude. Maybe you got them what they had been asking for f-o-r-e-v-e-... read more
Health and medicine are front and center today. They have been for the better part of a year and a half. The Bible story we are reading this week puts the spotlight on an account w... read more
I can think of no better way to end this week than the words of Hebrews 12:1–3.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw of... read more
Max discovered the importance of perseverance in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1. 2 mile swim and the 56 mile bike ride, he didn't have much energy left for the 13. 1 mile... read more
There’s a quote from the great Albert Einstein that brings me some comfort. “I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession, and dogged endurance have brought me... read more
It's easy to analyze, scrutinize, and talk about the problems in the world, but we need people who will do something about them. The book of Nehemiah shows what happens when s... read more
Last week, we focused on discipline over apathy. This week, we’re talking about discipline’s trusty sidekick: Perseverance. They are basically inseparable. Like any goo... read more
We began a teaching series on Sunday about going the extra mile to live excellent lives. Jon Weece reminded us about Daniel’s full devotion to God. Daniel had the discipline ... read more
In yesterday’s devo, we began a discussion about delayed gratification. More often than not, we think of delayed gratification in terms of tangible things we might eventually... read more
We’re learning from Daniel this week about how to become a person of excellence. Daniel’s faith and connection to God gave him the wisdom to choose what was right. But ... read more
Daniel chapter 1 in the Old Testament sets the stage for how God would accomplish His purposes through a young man named Daniel. Here is some background: God’s people in Jeru... read more
If you have paid even a little attention to the stories of characters in the Bible, you’ll pick up on some very consistent themes. An obvious one, which I will not elaborate ... read more
I love this passage of scripture. The imagery is profound. Just for a moment, pause and envision this interaction. A Pharisee and a tax collector have gone to the Temple to pray. T... read more
I may just be the unluckiest person on the face of the earth, but nothing in life that I’ve ever wanted has come easy. Through years of sports, I quickly learned that you hav... read more
In the book of Genesis, God tells us that our lives will be filled with hard work and troubles, so we shouldn’t be surprised when we see this verse in the book of James. We&r... read more
Why can’t life be one long summer?
I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to spend the afternoon slipping and sliding all of my worries away. Trust me when I say that y... read more
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found the game of Clue to be quite interesting. There’s something about a murder mystery that has always piqued my interes... read more
I’ve had the privilege of knowing several people who knew their time was nearing to head home to Heaven. Whether battling a sickness or just facing the facts of old age, thes... read more
Raise your hand if you think paying bills is fun!!!
Did you raise your hand? No? Me either.
How about managing your insurance policies? Calculating taxes? Paying bank loans? Does... read more
I have terrible eyesight. I didn’t actually know that for a while, though. When I was in 5th grade, my mom asked me to read a road sign ahead. Not only could I not see the wo... read more
When Jesus says that following Him means laying down my selfishness and picking up my cross, I wince a little bit. I am… selfish. I don’t even like to share my fries (... read more
I just read about a billionaire who built a supersonic space plane and launched above Earth into zero gravity. This isn’t a fairytale—it literally happened a few weeks ... read more
There are three battle fronts in our lives: The world, the flesh, and the devil. And they work together to create schemes designed to tempt us to crave the fulfillment of God-given... read more
Proverbs 5:15 captures the words of a father sharing somewhat cryptic wisdom with his son: “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. ” Let me... read more
“I can quit anytime. ” Have you ever said—or even thought—those words when talking about a potentially life-controlling habit? It implies that a little effor... read more
RISK. The game of world domination. My dad was unbelievable at it. A career military man, he never lost. One of my earliest memories was on Thanksgiving Day as a kid. My dad had so... read more
The games we play reflect real things we devote our lives to. And the game of RISK—in pursuit of global domination and strategic sacrifices in the name of conquest—high... read more
My sweet Little Mama had that mother knowledge. You know what I mean. The hair stands up on the back of your neck when your kid tells a lie. We used to say she had eyes in the back... read more
Here are some things that make no sense. A cannibalistic serial killer might be in Heaven. A celebrity who’s lived a wild and wicked life may now follow Jesus. Parents who ex... read more
We round up our grandkids a couple weekends a month. I arrive at the parents’ doors and say, “I’ll be needing those babies from you. I’ll bring ‘em ba... read more
I remember the date. December 29, 2011. That’s the date my husband and I paid off the last dollar of debt we owed. We focused intensely on making that moment happen in the ye... read more
In the past year, we put an addition on our house that included a family room and dining area. We then turned our old dining room into a home office. All new furnishings and appoin... read more
We’ve talked this week about money and greed. I’d like to end today with a prayer. Would you pray audibly with me?
Dear Lord, we both know my soul is too anxious&mdash... read more
Nothing destroys contentment like greed. In fact, we can't be greedy and content at the same time. Paul wrote, “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content... read more
The future. That’s where most people live—”some day, far off”—like the man in Luke 12 who built bigger barns to store more crops. He never learned the... read more
Do you remember your high school yearbook? Remember the “Most likely to. . . ” categories and designations? Most likely to succeed, get married, have ten kids, win the lot... read more
We’re talking about money this week—more specifically, greed. I think of greed as a green-eyed seductress that worms her way deep into the human heart and ultimately st... read more
Jesus makes one of the most shocking claims of His day in these verses! The Jewish people expected a Messiah who would come and free them from the persecution of the Romans. Howeve... read more
