As with any story, there is always a background. I believe my “religious” background is unusual. I was raised Catholic, including Catholic school with plaid jumpers and nuns wearing habits with rulers. Anyone who attended a Catholic school in the 70s or before knows that rulers...
Our family found Lifeline almost accidentally while house hunting on a visit from out-of-state. When God lead us back there again after we moved, we firmly believed that it was no accident. We had tried many churches in the area, and Lifeline felt like "home" almost immediately for us. There was...
When I was younger, I worked in a bakery alongside an old and thin woman named Vivian. She had a sweet heart, and she teased the split ends of her hair so much it looked like a long-haired cat sat on top of her head. She was a true believer, a holy roller, I’d say, who saw daily life as a...
Sometimes, the simplest of measures can define a day as good—warm sunshine perhaps, or maybe it’s a dance in the rain, or a day with puppies. Who can’t smile when a puppy is near? For me, a day of junk mail was a good day. No bills. No collection notices. Just wonderful...
“Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” (Genesis 1:11 NIV) Everything starts as a seed. That’s the first law of the harvest. Every achievement started as a dream seed...
The day I walked my freshman daughter through the halls of her new school, mapping out the course she would need to navigate on her first day of class it brought back a lot of memories: school colors sprinkled everywhere, rows of lockers, the smell of freshly polished floors, and the “I...
“But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well” (Matthew 6:33 CEV). Everyone struggles with quiet time consistency from time to time. Know that if you’re struggling with it, you’re not alone! The...
“Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him” (1 Samuel 15:22b CEV). If you aren’t experienced in applying God’s Word to your life, you might be frustrated. How do you do it?...
Since hope is such a beautiful thing, this question has to be asked: “Can anyone have it?” The answer is yes! Regardless of your present situation, background, personality, upbringing, or circumstances, you can be a person of hope. Doing the following three things will help you to...
Have you ever experienced a “trust fall”? If you’ve been involved with leadership development and training, you’ve probably at least seen it done to help build trust within teams. Two people stand, arms locked, behind one person facing away from them. That person then...