I’ve been wondering about this. I’ve heard a few people mention that they believe this is true. I suspect it is! Great Awakening refers to 4 movements in our history when people “woke up” from spiritual slumber, experienced a profound sense of conviction and spiritual revival and became increasingly devoted to Jesus as Lord. The first one was in the 1730’s and 40’s with Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield and others as the passionate preachers leading the way in this awakening. The second one was in the late 18th century to mid 19th century – this time without the big-name preachers

Dear friends, Can you identify with feeling that no matter how much you give to someone or to a cause you believe in, it will never be enough? I’m not just talking about money, I’m thinking about giving of yourself, your time, your efforts, your resources of any kind. I confess that sometimes I don’t give the little bit I could because I feel it will just be like a drop in a bucket that doesn’t make much difference. In these uncertain times, it would be easy to just stop giving to conserve resources “just in case” out of insecurity.

Dear friends, I’ve been thinking about you, wondering how you are doing as this pandemic and all the trials related to it continue on. It has been several weeks now and we don’t know how much longer we will be in quarantine. It is an Easter like no other! Are you feeling weary, discouraged, tempted to fear? I can relate! I feel all those things. But I have found something that causes me to be able to resist those temptations to become discouraged and fearful. I have confidence that we can turn our trials into treasure! Here’s where that confidence

Dear friends, Many of you know the Biblical story of creation in Genesis. In the midst of all the doing, God demonstrates a very fundamental concept: BEING. He rested, and just WAS on the 7th day. It can be hard to “just BE”. If you try to take a time of rest, your mind can start racing, you can start fidgeting because of your normal “go and do” orientation, or just a general discomfort with being still.   The best way I’ve found to enter into rest is a prayerful practice called Interactive Gratitude.  Step 1 – take a few deep

Dear friends, I’ve been thinking today about you all today as we face this nationwide, worldwide crisis with the coronavirus. This verse of Scripture has been coming to me, one where people from another era would have been experiencing some unusually difficult circumstances. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God

Dear friends, The passage of Scripture below is a challenging one. It’s something that doesn’t come naturally to us, something only God can help us do. 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  Luke 6:27-28 NIV What comes more naturally to us is “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”, would you agree? Perhaps you are a person who very naturally loves your enemies – you are amazing if that’s you! Personally, I need help with

Dear friends, My husband Michael and I had the privilege of raising 5 wonderful children, now all grown, married and all but the youngest of them raising their own children. We feel so proud and blessed by them and our 12 grandchildren. There is a particular prayer we prayed from the time they were little. I think God inspired it and we watched Him answer it time and time again. We still pray it over them and our grandchildren. So here it is: Lord, we pray that you will teach our children million dollar lessons from ten dollar mistakes. If

Dear Friends, This month I’m pondering the importance of relationships. I truly do believe that they are the real currency of life, more than money, power, fame or anything else. The photo above is my and my husband Michael on our first trip to Seattle in front of the original Starbucks. I’m with my favorite man in front of one of my favorite coffee shops, it was a most happy day! What you may not see in this picture though is the storm we had weathered together not that long before. In 2004 I was stricken with a rare neurological