More than Unbroken

It’s no secret that I love children. That’s why I became a teacher. That’s why I said yes when Pastor Chuck asked me to step in as KidMin Leader. That’s why I embrace every little that walks through my sister’s home as she fosters them. Children are our legacy. I believe in teaching and loving them well.  These past four years as KidMin leader at Northside have not been wasted. God stretched me into a new area. He helped me navigate them through loss during Covid and the loss of our pastor. I can now look back and see that my time in Kids’ Ministry has been preparing me for the next thing. I knew in 2021 that God would eventually move me out as KidMin leader. I didn’t know when. At the start of this year, I began to hear Holy Spirit telling me that this would be my last year as kids director at Northside. Still, I waited. Today was my last sermon for the kids as their KidMin leader. A new leadership team has been developed, and they are going to carry on with the task of nurturing ...

This past Friday, my sister and I trekked to Pensacola for Unite Gulf Coast. It was a free event sponsored by over 140 area churches. The highlight of the evening was getting to see For King + Country. But there was more. Passion Music ushered the 7,000 attendees into the presence of God, opening with the song, “Glorious Day.” This particular song has some significance for me.  On Monday, September 7, 2020, I was riding with Wess (he was fifteen at the time) to Ozark. We had a dog in obedience school, and it was time to pick her up. On the way, I began receiving phone calls about Pastor Chuck. Ultimately, a message from our church went out asking us to pray for Pastor Chuck and the gentleman who was with him because they had been in a vehicle accident. My music playlist shuffled as I began to pray and call others from our church to find out more details. “Glorious Day” kept coming on, and I would skip to another song. I look back now and see that God was using this song to prepare ...

This has been a difficult week for many reasons. At the start of the week, I was struggling to justify why I must remain patient before moving into the full calling of Unbroken and Undone and all that God has given me vision for.  It was only a week ago that I was crying with my mom and sister about not understanding why it seems like some people are able to move so easily into their calling while, for me, it has felt like my years of ministry and serving have been more of a slow crawl and constant waiting for doors to open. My sister made a remark about how hard it must have been for Abraham and Sarah to wait in their promise. I was reminded that when they tried to do things their own way, Ishmael was the result. This same sweet sister of mine has been a foster mom now for nine months. We have loved every little that has come into our lives, and it has transformed my understanding of the heart of God for us. At the end of the day, though, my sister and her husband want to adopt a ...

I have uttered these words countless times to my children when they were small and demanding something. It’s a phrase that bought me time to redirect them. Sometimes the thing they wanted happened later, and sometimes it didn’t. Either way, I had given them a temporary answer to ease their eagerness. The last week has been a “not right now” time for me. God has a plan for Unbroken & Undone. I wish I were walking in that dream. But, for reasons only He knows, it hasn’t happened. Yet. Yet is a very powerful word. It can change the whole trajectory of a thought process from one of hopeless to anticipation.  -I don’t know what’s going to happen… yet. -Things are not working the way I thought they would… yet. -My God dreams haven’t come true… yet. When we change our perspective to “not yet,” we release the anxiety of the unknown and begin to live in anticipation. We can “distract” ourselves with what God wants us to do now while we wait for our “yet.” For God is working in you, givi...

Recently, our family has experienced many transitions. From adjusting to having a graduate, moving into new realms of ministry, and extended family adventures, we have been on a bit of a roller coaster in life. When things become chaotic, I tend to want to regain some control. God is still teaching me to let go and allow Him to handle the driving. A couple of weeks ago, my sister made such a profound statement: It’s God’s way or no way. I can’t get into the full realm of our discussion that prompted this statement, but it definitely smacked me in the face with the realization that if God isn’t in the situation-whatever it is-it’s wrong. For control freaks like me, I need reminding that God sees the big picture, and has a perfect plan for everyone involved. Sometimes-most if the time-I need to get out of His way and let Him work. God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. (Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬) I can never begin t...