Stores do it often to stay open and do business. Taking inventory of what’s on the shelf and what needs to be replenished. Restocking, facing off the shelves, giving everything a fresh look. 
 
The year is quickly slipping away. Spring into summer, and now the trees show a hint of fall, tinges of color brushing their leaf tips. It can be easy to lose the year's momentum and settle into a “what will be will be” mentality, but if you do the math, we’re only in the eighth month...

As the heat wave continues across the world, I’m incredibly thankful for a good, working air conditioner. The house has stayed comfortable and we’ve been able to focus on our tasks versus struggling to keep cool.
 
Our neighbor’s air conditioner is another story. ​Bushes had grown around it, choking out the air it needed to function well. It was loud and ran continuously trying to keep up with the heat and complete its mission: to cool the house...

What makes faith grow? What can lift your weary heart when you’ve been praying and believing for weeks and months and maybe years for a situation to turn, a miracle to happen? 
 
You may have started out with bold statements of faith about God’s healing power. You may have declared with certainty God’s ability to save even the most lost person in the world. But now your faith is wavering and what was at least mustard-sized seems to be shrinking in fear and doubt and misgivings.
 
You’re in good company.

Finding a good friend is sometimes easier said than done. The long two years of the pandemic haven’t helped, polarizing people with varying opinions on masks and vaccines and gatherings. It can be tempting to pull back and allow yourself to become isolated – but to do so means to lose out on the value of true friendship.
 
If we opt out of the work of building a friendship, we can end up like the guy I encountered in a Southern California park one day. I’ll call him Joe, and Joe had an advantage...

What do you do when you’ve been slandered, spitefully used or cursed? The enemy has attacked and you’re grappling with maintaining even a semblance of Christianity in its face. 

In light of the recent mass shootings and the reveal of rampant sexual abuse within the Church and society at large, I’m refreshing this blog with hopes to bring help to the hurting. You may be angry or fearful or in shock, but God has a word for you and a way for you to move past the pain and recover your life. Keep reading, and watch for the links below to my YouVersion devotional plan that can help you wrestle through your feelings. 

​When was the last time you shared your faith with someone? Remember when you first got saved and you had to tell everyone? If your zeal has waned, there may be a hidden reason why.
 
I spoke recently at The Blue Cord Impact Conference in Dallas, hosted by iHope Ministries. With a goal to embolden and equip women to share their faith across cultures, I jokingly told the attendees that I had the “privilege” of sharing the stark reality that doubt counts you out of the plan of God. Especially when it comes to sharing your faith with others, doubt will hold you back...