A Shepherd, A King, and the God Who Writes Our Stories
Last week in Branson, MO — Carl and I sat in the Sight & Sound Theatre… and I’m telling you, Donna-to-reader, my jaw was somewhere on the floor. Mountains rising on stage. Real waterfalls cascading. Live birds, sheep, camels, horses — trotting past us. Costumes so magnificent that it took us back to that era.…
Chips Off the Old Block
Michael Jackson sang “Man in the Mirror”. It spoke of the person we need to be to make the world a better place. The chorus went like this: “I’m starting with the man in the mirror.I’m asking him to change his ways.And no message could have been any clearer.If you want to make the world…
My Strength and My Song
I have an addiction! It’s because of a long line of folks who were equally addicted. One of the meanings of “addiction” is: “enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity”. I am addicted to old AND new songs of faith. I didn’t have to tell you that because I confess to that addiction often…
What Disrupts Your Worries?
A “show-stopper” song that disrupted the angst, worry and concerns in my life was one written and sung by Andrae Crouch. It went like this: “I’ve had many tears and sorrows / I’ve had questions for tomorrow / There have been times I didn’t know right from wrong / But in every situation / God…
He Gives More than Shovelfuls
God is a shoveler. He shovels by the shovelful — not by a measly spoonful. I know The Shoveler! I am a recipient of God’s amazing grace (the free and unmerited favor of God) that is more than I could ever ask for or even think. In fact, my attempt to “measure” God’s grace in…
Blessings & Raindrops
We have had uncanny amounts of rain over the last couple of weeks, but it’s Sunday and it’s gorgeous outside. The sun is shining brightly and the landscape seems greener than ever! But, I know there are those who still have rain and storms in their lives. I remember feeling that way when we received…
We’ve Only Just Begun
That was one of our favorite songs by The Carpenters. As a young married couple, we sang that song completely unaware of what lie ahead of us, but as long as we had each other, we knew we’d make it past every bump in the road we might encounter. Sounds like unrealistic thinking, but it…
I Raise a Hallelujah
I heard the story behind Bethel Music’s anointed song, “I Raise a Hallelujah”. A few days before Christmas, 2-year-old, Jaxon, was airlifted to intensive care and the church began to fight for his life. A symphony of prayer rose up. Two weeks into the fight, Bethel songwriter, Jonathan Helser, received a text from the dad…
A Fire. A Journal. A Blessing.
A few days ago, my daughter sent me this text message: “Do you know when the fire in our home was?” Of course, she could ask me that because she knows about my daily journal writing. It’s a routine that I’ve been quite consistent with for decades. I write about significant details of my day,…
10,000 Reasons
Yesterday morning I woke up singing “Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Oh, my soul. Worship His Holy Name. Sing like never before, oh my soul, I worship Your Holy Name!” That song’s title is “10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman. What a way to wake up – blessing and worshipping God’s Holy Name! Immediately I…