I admire the hospice workers and chaplain who have served my family through my father's terminal illness. Amazing people doing amazing work with excellence, patience, and compassion. They've been through the process dozens of times, but we hadn't, and yet they never acted like it was just...
Until this summer, I thought that going to the Challenge conference as a leader would require more of me than when I was a student. I was expecting to have to let the students decide what we do and keep from dominating the discussions. I was ready to take on that role. What I wasn’t...
During the week leading up to Challenge I was tired. Exhausted to be honest. I felt ill equipped and unqualified to join the youth on this adventure and being run down didn't seem like a great start. I started to question my role altogether. “Why me?” This question weighed heavy. I...
This door is locked. It's on the ramp leading up to the balcony of Municipal Auditorium where the main sessions for Challenge are being held this week. Unmarked, short, locked door that hides a mystery. I just walk by the door. Every time. It's not my door, and what's behind it is not my...
Fishing Lessons From Jesus’ Encounter with a Rich Young Ruler and a Chief Tax Collector Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where He was to partake of His last Passover meal with His disciples. On the way, He and His disciples meet two men who were both seeking eternal life. The first one...
I'm going to step onto thin ice, here. Please take care to see what I actually do and don't say, without inserting someone else's words into my own. I will try to parse my words carefully. I'm watching this controversy about immigrant children being separated from their parents. But...
This coming Sunday will be Claudia's last day with us as our Children's Ministry intern. She has been a fantastic addition to our team, and a reliable leader. She has been what we prayed for as our intern, and we continue to pray for the next step in her journey (especially the new role as a...
This week at VBS, I got to play the character of the marooned Jim Noland. My costume was pretty simple - some raggedly shorts, a dirty and torn t-shirt, and one sandal. Not exactly the master of disguise! After the opening skit, I would change back into my normal clothes for the day and hang...
Last week in our gathering, I mentioned in prayer that God didn’t create Grace Fellowship just to gather on a Sunday morning. That’s not why Grace Fellowship exists, and I know for certain that it’s not why a number of people call Grace their church family. He did, however...
cf. Matthew 10:16-23 Last month I described an exciting faith trip I took the summer of 1973, which was intended to follow the pattern and instructions given in Matthew 10:1-15. The impact of that trip on my life has been acontinual source of encouragement. However, the disciples faith...