Freedom

”But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”  Philippians 3:7-8 (NIV) I had a humorous and  rather humiliating moment of clarity about a […]

 Treading on High Places

“This can’t be happening”! I still remember that thought racing through my mind, that feeling of helplessness and shock. The doctor had left the room to give us a minute.  I looked frantically at Mark.  I knew it was not good.  The doctor came back in and explained that I had a complicated miscarriage.  We […]

The Reproach Of Egypt

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you”.  Joshua 5:9 We sunk down into our chairs feeling a mixture of embarrassment and shame. Holidays in which the entire extended family would come together were some of the most joyful times of my childhood.  I rarely spent […]

The Gift Of Contentment

Last week Leah and I had the opportunity to visit some of our family back in Chicago.  We are always grateful for those precious hours given the fact that our ministry assignments have brought us a bit of a distance from our hometown. Upon arriving at their grandmother’s house, the kids lit up with excitement to learn […]

The Lost Art Of Really Listening

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”  James 1:19 I have this very vivid memory of a particular gym class during my elementary school years.  The physical ed. teacher declared that it was “free gym day”, which meant a bunch of high-wired […]