Following Jesus Means Loving Everyone
If we’re honest, loving everybody sounds beautiful — until we meet everybody. Love the kind. Sure.Love the grateful. Of course.But love the ones who mock faith, roll their eyes at truth, or treat believers with open hostility? Lord, are You sure You didn’t mean most people? And then — quiet as a whisper — I…
I’m Still Counting My Blessings
This morning, while checking to be sure my blogs landed where they were supposed to (they did — thank you, Lord), a song started playing in my mind. Not on the radio. Not on my phone. Just there — settling into my heart. “Lord, I’m still counting my blessings…” — the chorus from “Counting My…
Happy New Year’s Eve — Day 365 — We Made It
That’s 365 days of choosing hope. Of posting encouragement. Of offering a positive word in a world that often prefers venting over virtue. And let’s be honest — this year gave us plenty to vent about. Politics. The economy. Relationships. Disappointments. Phew! But once upon a time — 2010, to be exact — I sensed…
Still Counting My Blessings
This morning, while checking to be sure my blogs landed where they were supposed to (they did — thank you, Lord), a song started playing in my mind. Not on the radio. Not on my phone. Just there — settling into my heart. “Lord, I’m still counting my blessings…” — the chorus from “Counting My…
Advent: Holidays or Holy Days?
I spoke about Advent yesterday but I am leaning in even more! By the way, Happy Advent, dear friends! There’s a sweetness in the air this time of year that no scented candle can replicate — a hush, a hope, a holy expectancy drifting right into our homes like a soft winter breeze. But before…
A Prayer for the Tired, the Poor, and the Yearning-to-Be-Free
Today I found myself reading the words etched into the Statue of Liberty — words I’ve known for years but suddenly felt in a deeper way. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” That little poem, written by Emma Lazarus, wasn’t meant to be political. It was meant to…
I’m Being Followed
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”— Psalm 23:6 That’s quite a promise, isn’t it? Some days it feels like anxiety and fear are tailgating us while goodness and mercy got stuck at the last stoplight. But life has taught me something — goodness and mercy don’t always walk…
Sparks of Hope in the Flood
On July 4, 2025, a precious family from Kentfield, California, gathered at their river home in Hunt, Texas. None of us could have imagined that the fierce floods of the Guadalupe River would sweep away their cabin and take the lives of Sara, Mark, and their teenage son, Johnny. Only their 16-year-old daughter, Ellie, survived…
May Jesus Be Seen in Me — In Spite of Me
A dear friend shared words with me that stopped me in my tracks: “May Jesus be seen in me, in spite of me.” Isn’t that the truth? Because let’s be honest, sometimes “me” gets in the way. My impatience can flare up quicker than my smile. My opinion can jump out of my mouth before…
Staying Positive in a Negative World
Years ago when I lived in Tulsa, I walked out of the grocery store, minding my own business, when a TV reporter swooped in with a microphone and a cameraman in tow. Before I could say “no comment,” she was asking what I thought about all the new traffic in our area. Now, I hadn’t…