“Oh come, let us worship and bow down;let us kneel before the LORD, our maker!”—Psalm 95:6 I’ve been pondering worship for a long time—years really. Is it merely a synonym for what I do on Sunday morning? Is it only the part of the Sunday morning service that involves singing? My answer is no. Worship is so […]
I was alone, sitting on the bed in the hotel room. With my Bible open to Philippians and my journal nearby, I sat conversing with God. Suddenly I recalled that six months earlier I had been reading Philippians and was struck by this verse: “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful […]
“To learn, you must want to be taught.” I love this rendition of Proverbs 12:1 in The Living Bible. It prompts a question in me: To what extent do I have a teachable spirit? As I’m maturing—that is, as I’m growing older—I have to admit it gets easier and easier to resist change. I tend toward getting comfortable and […]
Do you have children, grandchildren, or just know a child? If so, you’ll be challenged and inspired by Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford, former president and CEO of Compassion International. In this book, Stafford shows how to bring value to children and see them respond. Here’s one inspiring example from the book. Stafford tells about […]
As a young pastor of a growing church, John Maxwell felt unusually stretched as he went about his duties. There was much more to do than the time he had available. He felt overwhelmed and extended by the demands placed on him. Don’t we all feel this way at times! As he tells the story […]
Once when family gathered, I asked, “What do you think of when I say, ‘Old Woman’?” My son-in-law said, “White hair. Black coat.” I had to laugh. I fit that concise description. But the critical question is, what comes to my mind when I say, “Old Woman”? Is Old Woman a stage of life I can step […]
With the passing years, I find myself using a banker’s vocabulary. I speak of my life in terms of losses and gains. My friends do the same. Unfortunately, it’s easy to focus on the debit side. We talk about losing our keys, losing our memory, and losing our physical strength. This isn’t how God sees […]
I expected to serve during my mission trip last summer, and I did! But God also blessed me in more ways than I’d dreamed of, with renewed confidence in how He can use me, a precious new friend to pray for, and a desire to serve the Lord in a new way. As a nurse, […]
As a new member of Nav Encore, I am making the transition from full-time ministry to fewer scheduled hours. But to do that transition well, I find that I need to think about what I value at this season of my life and what restores me to feel energized and be effective in ministry. Recently, I […]
I used to think aging was a series of losses, but that is changing. I am discovering that getting older is about grace, not loss—specifically, giving grace. If I age gracefully, people will enjoy being around me whatever my age. We all need grace!Aging is rich with opportunities to build deeper relationships and to model […]
