I recently had the privilege of hosting our Courage For My Life training for 27 incarcerated men. Some of the men are incarcerated for life. The majority of the men will become Peer Facilitators and lead our video-driven discipleship class with other inmates. When I walked into the chapel, the men’s body language (crossed arms,…
This week will celebrate a century-old holiday known as April Fools’ Day. While the day entails playing practical jokes on others, life can sometimes feel like it’s playing a practical joke on us. One of the contributions to painful life experiences is derived from self-reliance instead of relying on God. Self-reliance is defined as relying…
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 Time flies! Seems like yesterday my boys were in elementary school and I was constantly entertained by their funny stories and inspired by their strong and loving hearts. But, it wasn’t yesterday. It’s now been 20 years since I carted…
“For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 There have been times in my life when experiencing difficult circumstances, I’ve asked, “Why God?”. Even in the minor inconveniences of life- the car breaks down, the dog gets sick,…
“Each of us should please his neighbor for their good, to build him up.” Romans 15:2 NIV “Two men who shared a hospital room ended up becoming friends. One was allowed to sit up for an hour every day. His bed was beside the window. The other man spent his life flat on his back. Each…
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” Jeremiah 1:5 We’re all familiar with the children’s song “Jesus loves me, this I know”. It was sung to me as a child and I sang it to my sons. The proof of His limitless love for us was demonstrated through His death on the…
“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. Deuteronomy 31:6 (Msg) Imagine meeting a friend to celebrate their birthday and being excited about giving them the gift you’ve found especially for them. Because your friend is so special to you, you’ve taken extra time and…
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Change comes in many forms in our lives. It might come forcefully like a hurricane, or creep along incrementally like a glacier. It might come in the form of a difficult choice,…
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 How do we workout our faith? Faith in God is like a muscle – it needs to be exercised. Hebrews says that faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not…