One year ago today, October 10, 2021, I fell mountain biking in Brown County Indiana, and fractured my kneecap. To summarize, over the last year, I've had three knee surgeries, a severe infection following surgery #1, six weeks of intravenous...
Tag: abundant life
How to Experience Real Joy This Christmas (and into the New Year)
People talk and sing a lot about joy, especially at this time of year, but as you look around, is there much joy to be found? Most people in the world find joy in sentiment and circumstances and stuff, but...
3 Ways to Deal with Your Stressors Today: Encouragement Letter
My wife, Heidi, has struggled with several stressors in her life this week. So, this morning I sent her a quick email of encouragement. Later I realized that many others may also need encouragement today. Hope this helps: Take time...
What to Do With Not Enough _____ (Money, Ability, Compassion, Faith …)
What do you do when you don't have enough? Not enough money to pay the bills. Not enough skills or experience for the job you want. Not enough patience or compassion to deal with, much less love, that person in...
The Day of Overflowing Compassion
Today is a Day of Overflowing Compassion. To fully understand what happened on this day, it helps to see Jesus' attitudes, actions, and words before he was put on trial and went to the cross. Once, as he was walking...
The Brazil Cell-Church Conference: What I Learned … #5 – Go with the Flow
One of my favorite topics to speak on is the principle of overflow. In my training, I use a pitcher to represent God and everything that he wants to pour into us and a glass to represent our lives. I...
Trying Hard in the Spiritual Life: Rx for Burnout?
As Christ-following leaders--of small groups, ministries, churches, families, businesses, ourselves--we know that our relationship with God must come first. If we spend time with him, committed to walking with him, seeking him, and putting his kingdom first, he will take...
The Most Important Thing You Do Today: It’s Not Reading the Bible!
As I opened my Bible and started reading this morning, I had to stop myself after the first stanza of Psalm 104. Something was missing. Rather, someone was missing. I found myself reading to be reading. But that's not what...
Big Buts in the Psalms: The Secret to Real Success
In my reading of the Psalms, I've encountered several huge buts. The psalmist usually begins the psalm with a lament about his current circumstances, how bad things are, how everything seems to be falling apart. And then the writer uses...
Love & Hate
To be holy is to hate what is unholy. To love a holy God is to hate what is evil.You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power...