More than Unbroken

I’m reading through the Bible this year, and I’m currently in Leviticus. As I have read through, I was reminded of something Pastor Chuck talked about a lot.   All of the details about the tabernacle, the purification, and the plans for the ark of the covenant were lost on me for so many years. And even now, I don’t fully understand the historical significance of these details. But Pastor Chuck had such insight into these things. His belief was that sin brough us into a world of chaos. God brought order, starting with setting the law in place.   The Old Testament law was simply a shadow of the order that would come through Jesus Christ. I am thankful for a God of order and not chaos.  “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭14:33‬) There is so much chaos around us every day. I can personally attest to this fact. Some days I feel like I can handle anything. Other days I feel like my legs have been cut f...

The one. You know who it is. That one who changed your life and brought you to a new reality full of meaning. If you’re thinking of a person, I hate to inform you that you are putting way too much pressure on your “one.”  The truth is, God is the One. He is the only one who can bring us true joy and meaning. He is the creator of  our purpose. And in creating us with purpose, He also gave us one another.  Remember when you were little and played pretend. Sometimes it would be some fantastic adventure. Little girls love to play wedding. They love pretending to be mommies with their little dolls. And little boys love pretending to do whatever they see grown up men doing. For my boys, it’s always been hunting and fishing. Just like children mimic what they see in life, God gave us relationships so that we can understand how to be in relationship with Him. Think about it. In the Bible, the church is referred to as the bride of Christ. Husbands are charged with loving their wiv...

I’ve had a rough week. One of the roughest ones I’ve had in a long time. After some soul-searching and talking with family and friends, I’ve come to realize something. I need a minute. What I mean by that is that I need to be still and allow my emotions to settle before I can effectively encourage those around me. Because, trust me, I’m running on fumes right now. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10) As a wife, I want to be everything my husband needs me to be. He’s not demanding, but I want to honor him and our marriage by giving my best. That didn’t happen this week. As a mom, I want to be there for my kids when they need me. As they grow older, they have gained independence, so what they need from me looks different than it did five years ago. I’m finding my footing in this, and they are showing me grace and letting me cling when I need to. As a daughter, sister, granddaughter, teacher and kids’ pastor, the world needs me to be at my best as much as possible. An...

I'm a closet gamer. I don't mean the new, hard-core, spend-time-around-the-clock gaming. I prefer the old school games. Growing up, I spent hours navigating Mario and Luigi through various levels of the Mushroom Kingdom. As I got older, Sonic the Hedgehog was my favorite obsession. I also enjoyed the Lion King for Sega Genesis. Can you guess how old I am? The most frustrating thing about the Lion King game was leveling up. Level three was as far as my skill would carry me. Being something of a perfectionist, I soon lost interest in the game because I found it impossible to move forward. Stay with me; I promise I have a point! In praying about writing subjects at the start of the year, I felt the Lord leading me to discuss going to the next level in different areas of our life. Unlike my Lion King experience, you don't have to stay in the same stage without any hope of change.  We have the resources at our disposal to level up.  By his divine power, God has given us everythi...