Randy and I had been in a little church plant for about a year when something special arrived in the mailbox. Let me back up and say church planting is NOT for sissies. It’s hard stuff but it’s really awesome stuff as well. This was like any other day and I grabbed the mail and sat at the kitchen table opening mostly bills and then discovered one handwritten envelope. When I ... Read More »
God
Teaching Your Kids To Be Happy in God
Meet Jennifer Vliet Newman, a long time friend from back in our youth group and college days. She and and her husband Jonathan have three children. They live in Ohio where Jonathan pastors their church plant Koinos Christian Fellowship. You'll love her wisdom and insight in this article. It helped me and I pray it will help you in some ways as well. This past summer I ... Read More »
Epic Bible Study Fail – no really it’s bad.
It wasn't my finest moment in leading Bible Study last night. It was our first night of a new study on Job. We had new ladies in our church attending and a missionary and a few ladies from others churches. I had prepared my heart and was excited about our first night. Tables set with cute flowers, yummy food, books handed out. We got through introductions and small group time ... Read More »
Promotion not Punitive
The book of Job has always been a bit disturbing to me but also intriguing. Job was righteous, upright and loved God. And then it was suggested by God himself as someone that satan could test to the core. The conversation between God and satan was wether or not Job loved and followed God because he was richly blessed by God or because he simply delighted in God ... Read More »
3 Bible Study tips that help me stay engaged.
I'm a self proclaimed ADHD'er who stood on my head on the couch memorizing all my verses in Christian school among other crazy nonsensical approaches to learning. My attention span is the size of a gnat and so I have to find tools and tricks of the trade to keep myself engaged. So even in my study of the Bible I've learned some things that help me stay focused and engaged for ... Read More »
Stop Collecting Bible Studies
If you know me in real life or have been reading Life is a Bowl of Wedgies for a while then you know my heart for Bible Study and prayer. Both spiritual disciplines are my lifeline and have served as life changing agents for me personally for many years. I lead Bible Studies and I help others lead studies in their spheres of influence. But there's a question I'm wanting to ask ... Read More »
Struggling to believe God’s goodness
Let's be real - it's hard to understand and believe God is good sometimes when we simply look around at the hard stuff going on all around us. Last week I met two ladies who had lost their only children. Turn the news on and you'll hear of a missing student from Iowa. I'm pretty sure if you stopped to think about it you have at least one close or distant family member who has ... Read More »
When words fail us
I recently had the privilege of leading a prayer workshop with a small group of women. I have led many of these workshops and each one has it's own unique flavor which I absolutely love however this workshop will always have a special place in my heart. There were two women in attendance who had lost a child. Their only child. My heart absolutely broke for these ladies. One is ... Read More »