We Can Say All the Right Things in All the Wrong Ways

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We Can Say All the Right Things in All the Wrong Ways

We can say all the right things in all the wrong ways.


Even saying there is an absolute truth or only one right way seems rather unpopular these days. And one who holds a worldview that would claim such a thing is seen as arrogant, insensitive, and unloving.


In an effort to not mince words or speak too vaguely about the topic at hand, when I say, “We can say all the right things in all the wrong ways,” the “we” is “me” (and you too if you hold fast to a Biblical Worldview), the “things” are Biblical Truths held by those with a Biblical Worldview.


When Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6), we take Him literally, trust Him completely, and seek Him continually.


When we do that, we find that He never changes, but we should be changing everyday as we become more like Him in our actions and attitudes — in everything we say and do.


So, in these conversations we’re having, knowing we want to say the right thing in the right way, with God’s help, let’s work on our tone, temperament, and timing.


TONE (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 4:6)

We can say the right thing in the wrong tone.

Instead we should be full of grace, seasoned with salt, avoiding any unwholesome talk.


TEMPERAMENT (Romans 8:5)

We can say the right thing with the wrong temperament.

Instead we should put off our flesh, and be led by His Spirit.


TIMING ( 2 Timothy 4:2-4, Ephesians 5:15-16)

We can say the right thing at the wrong time.


Instead we should remember His timing is perfect, and waiting on Him is always worth it.


So, speak the truth boldly, but as you speak, yield to the Spirit, and do it with love, grace, and humility.


Humility is key to allow grace in the space where hearts can be open to receive the truth that is spoken.


You can say what you mean without saying it mean.


Seek the truth before you speak the truth, so when you speak the truth others will want to seek the truth.

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The Word is more than enough when the world is just too much.

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The Word is more than enough when the world is just too much.

And “too much” is truly an understatement for the amount of absurdity, hypocrisy, and insanity we’re seeing on the daily. Not too much makes a lick of sense. Lies are blatant. Evil is rampant. And as Popeye would say, “I just can’t stands it!”


The enemy is working overtime to bully believers in Jesus Christ— taunting us by telling us our Biblical worldview is outdated, needs upgraded, so let’s just conflate it with things that degrade it!


Like I said, it’s just too much and quite frankly, I’ve had enough!


So, no thank you, enemy. Get thee behind me, because God’s Word will always be my Ultimate Authority.


The lens through which we view things has been defined and refined by the very Word of God. It is a perspective that continually points us to His promise, His provision, and His protection for His people.


Try as we might to hold fast to the Word of God, still “false gospels,” built upon half truths, can attempt to shift our focus from the Ultimate Authority and Absolute Truth of the Bible to a watered down, weak, worldly substitute, subjective in its solution, falling short in its execution, and furthering this great delusion.


There is only one way, one truth, one life — Jesus Christ, the son of God. The Gospel Truth from the Word of God.


Nothing more. Nothing less.


We cannot add to It to make It more powerful. We cannot subtract from It to make It more palatable.


It is what It is, It says what It says, It does what It does, and It is enough. In fact, It is more than enough when the world is just too much.

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Yearn to Learn. Teach to Reach.

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Yearn to Learn. Teach to Reach.

If we are teachable, others will be reachable.


I offer this word of advice with a caveat.


If you are a Christian, a Christ follower, a believer in Jesus Christ as the son of God, that makes you a student of the Word of God, and you should daily be taught by Him through His Word.


So, by “teachable,” I mean able to be taught, Biblically. Open to learning sound doctrine within Biblical Theology. You can do this AND still read other texts and have conversations with those who disagree; however, if your foundation in Biblical Truth is not firm, the enemy loves nothing more than to have you dabble in your doubts while striving to figure it all out.


And while learning requires leaning in and listening, it should not stop us from stepping out and witnessing.


There is so much talk today (especially in Evangelical Christian circles) to lean in, listen, and learn, and while I here for it, I’m also quick to caution against it as I’m witnessing the destruction in it. It’s a dangerous endeavor if not done while standing on the rock solid foundation of the Word of God.


Cordial conversations, even when about controversial topics, are always a good thing. How can we stand up for Biblical Truth if we are not engaging in conversations with those of opposing world views?


Every conversation we have must be from a place of humility. No one on this planet knows it all. The only one who does is sitting at the right hand of the the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34). He knew and did the Father’s will. He prays for us to know and do the Father’s will, too (Matthew 6:10).


We can’t know and do the Father’s will apart from being a learner of His Word and a discerner of His truth. We can’t reach others with that truth until that truth has reached our own hearts, renewed our own minds, and redeemed our own lives.


YEARN TO LEARN so we can TEACH TO REACH.


There’s a buzz word floating around these controversial conversations we’re having lately — nuance. And just to be clear on how I feel about the word, quite frankly, I think it’s a convenient little word, a crutch to hold up the weak arguments it’s used to defend, arguments that are usually neither for or against, circular in reasoning, never giving way to solutions based on sound reasoning and Biblical teaching.

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When We Get the WORD IN, We Can Keep the WORLD OUT

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When We Get the WORD IN, We Can Keep the WORLD OUT

You don’t even need to be fluent in Christianese, to be familiar with the phrase, “be in the world but not of it.” What does that even mean? Is it Biblical? And if so, how in the world do we live it out?


Let’s start with this passage from John 17: 14-19, Jesus’ words, a beautiful prayer to His Father, a plea He passionately poured out for His disciples on the eve of his crucifixion:


“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”


Jesus was willing to GIVE His life so we could HAVE life, eternally with Him and abundantly through Him. God’s WORD became FLESH to dwell among us for 33 years IN this WORLD. And when He both obediently and willingly left this world, He left His WORD with us. His WORD became flesh through Jesus, and it is still ALIVE and ACTIVE through the power of the Holy Spirit today.


His WORD. Our guide. Our compass. Our True North. When the world attempts to lead us astray. The Truth of His Word MUST lead the Way.

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One Rock. Many Roles.

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One Rock. Many Roles.

One Rock. Many Roles.


God the Father and Jesus Christ, His son, one in the same, are sometimes referred to by the same name. The name that sets the stage for this post today — Rock.


“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” ~ Isaiah 26:4


God is often referred to as a ROCK. Rock of Ages. Rock of Salvation. Rock that is higher and everlasting. Immovable and Unshakeable.


Jesus is known as a STONE. A living stone. A Precious Cornerstone.


We’re going to hone in on that Precious CORNERSTONE, but before we discuss the significance of that stone in it’s form and function as a foundational stone, let’s take a look at two other important stones in architecture, the CAPSTONE and the KEYSTONE.


Both these stone have very significant roles as well. Why then is Jesus called the CORNERSTONE?


The CAPSTONE is top stone of structure or wall. It is usually a higher quality stone to help protect the rubble in between the inner and outer wall. It is commonly sloped or curved and overhangs the top of the wall to allow water to drip off.


The KEYSTONE is the central stone at the summit of an arch that locked the other stones together. It is wedge shaped and is necessary to support the arch. It is paramount and central and is KEY to the arch’s stability.


Again, while the CAPSTONE and the KEYSTONE were designed uniquely and specifically for the architectural role they played, and while they were an integral part of the structure, the CORNERSTONE, in regard to the structure as a whole, is by far the most important stone.


Thus the reason Jesus is called the Precious CORNERSTONE. There is no substitute substantial enough to support the weight put upon it.


The CORNERSTONE plays three roles in a structure, but more importantly, Christ performs these roles in the very foundation and structure of our lives…


Ephesians 2:20 says, "Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”


Christ, the Cornerstone provides a firm foundation, structural significance, and distinctive direction for our lives.


Let’s take a look at each of these individually...

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“A lie doesn’t become the truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by the majority.”

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“A lie doesn’t become the truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by the majority.”

A lie doesn’t become the truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by the majority.

— Booker T. Washington


A lie doesn’t become the truth.


There’s a whole lotta lying going on in this world. Don’t believe everything you hear. Ask questions. Dig deep. Think critically and logically. Once you buy in to a fallacy, your gauge for truth forms a codependency with some alternate reality. Truth becomes relative, which degrades its authority, and removes its validity. Is that the kind of truth you want to believe?


Wrong doesn’t become right.


Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and although I love the movie “Dan in Real Life” (like it’s one of my favorite movies EVER), I don’t agree with this line of Marie’s “There’s a certain rightness to our wrongness.” That’s called compromise. It justifies the wrong because you wish it were right. Like truth, right can’t be relative. If it were, the line between right and wrong is blurred and the fight between wrong and right becomes meaningless and absurd. Also contrary to the way of the world, two wrongs don’t make a right, and one wrong is enough to start the descent down the slippery slope of sin, a path that will never lead to rightness or righteousness.


Evil doesn’t become good.


Evil is borne of darkness, and good of light. 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns us that light and dark cannot have communion or fellowship. We, as children of God, have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9) The evil of sin and darkness stay evil, sinful, and dark. Thus the juxtaposition of coming out of that darkness and into the light. Evil remains evil, but people can change. By the power of God and the goodness of His light that offers abundant and eternal life, He woos and wins us by His great love for us. He never changes. His love never fails. But we can be changed forever as His love prevails. Evil doesn’t become good, but our good good Father, as He pursues us, can pull us out of the evil that tries to consume us.


Just because it’s accepted by the majority.

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Believing is Seeing

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Believing is Seeing

They say, “seeing is believing, “ and I’m sure you’re familiar with that old clichè, but let me caution you to not believe everything “they” say. Based on what I read in God’s Word, which is oftentimes quite contrary to what you hear from the world…


“Believing is seeing.”


What exactly does that mean, or better yet, how do you “believe” more consistently so you can “see” more clearly? I’m glad you asked! And if you asked (like I have, and still do, so often), it’s likely you’re currently having hard time “seeing“ God at work in your life. Am I right? Are the prayers you’re praying becoming mere whispers in the weariness of waiting?

If this is true and it describes you, don’t lose heart because you’re in the perfect place to start! Start believing God at His Word. Start trusting His promises. Start believing He’ll do what He says. Don’t you dare give up. We LIVE by believing. But don’t take my word for it, take His Word for it…



“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” 2 Corinthians 5:7


‬‬We regain our strength by holding on to hope, trusting in His timing, and believing He goes before us. He does the work, we simply trust and obey. Listen to Him and do things His Way.



If you are waiting to “see,” simply believe. I promise there is a reason for the wait, purpose in the perseverance, and blessing in the believing.



Believing is seeing, so keep believing His promises, and you’ll see His power and glory as He keeps doing what He says.



“Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”” John‬ ‭11:40‬

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When Trials Try to Triumph Over Me...

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When Trials Try to Triumph Over Me...

When trials try to triumph over me,

whether an assault of the enemy

or the fault of my own iniquity,

I will trust in God’s Sovereignty.

In Christ alone I find true victory.


James 1:2-4 reminds us that trials WILL come.


It’s not an “if...then,” it’s a “when...then”


So WHEN they DO inevitably come, THEN this is what we DO...


(v. 2) we consider (NIV & NLT) or count (ESV) it pure (NIV), great (NLT), & all (ESV) JOY...


because the testing of our faith


(v. 3) produces perseverance (NIV), gives endurance a chance to grow (NLT), & produces steadfastness (ESV)


and in light of the victory,

Christ has already won for you and me,

our response to those trials should be...


Simply to embrace God’s grace in them

so He can finish the work He is doing through them.


“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” ~ James 1:4 (NIV)


“So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” ~ James 1:4 (NLT)


“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” ~ James 1:4 (ESV)


Wow. It’s ALL for His glory and our growth, and ultimately, for our good. In order to grow and mature and lack nothing, God not only calls us to endure the trials we face, He also wants us to find joy in them, as we trust Him, knowing that only in and through Him can we triumph over them!


The enemy breeds enmity.

Enmity feeds our iniquity.

Our iniquity impedes our unity.


But God, in His Sovereignty,

because of his great love for you and me

waged war against the enemy,

paid the price for our iniquity,

made a way for true unity,

and claimed the ultimate victory.

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When the world pauses me by fear and fret, the Word causes me to draw near and not forget...

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When the world pauses me by fear and fret, the Word causes me to draw near and not forget...

When the world pauses me by fear and fret,

the Word causes me to draw near and not forget...


🧡In Christ, I am perfectly loved, and Perfect Love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” ~ 1 John‬ ‭4:18‬‬‬


🧡In Christ, I do not have to be anxious about anything. (Philippians 4:6)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians‬ ‭4:4-7‬‬‬

🧡In Christ, I can confidently call out to God. (Psalm 145:18, Hebrews 4:16)

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” ~ Psalm 145:18

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” ~ Hebrews 4:16

🧡In Christ, I am strong and courageous and never alone. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” ~ Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:6‬

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Surrendered and Reawakened

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Surrendered and Reawakened

As I SURRENDER to what

I don’t fully understand,

I can REAWAKEN to His glory

as He reveals what only He can.


Stuck. It may not be a word we’d choose to live by, but it sure is one (especially for the past couple years), with which many of us can identify.


Stuck by the crippling grip of fear.

Stuck under the weight of unforgiveness.

Stuck in the loneliness of isolation.

Stuck on the pedestal of pride.


No matter how you spin the kinda stuck you’re in, only God can truly set you free to begin again.


As I ponder and pray through the two words God’s placed on my heart for 2022, I was struck by (and ironically stuck in) two passages of scripture this morning — two passages about one church, two descriptions praising these people while at the same time pointing out the one thing that had them stuck, and that’s when those two words for 2022 hit a little different.


They stuck out to me in to get me unstuck.


As I SURRENDER to what

I don’t fully understand,

I can REAWAKEN to His glory

as He reveals what only He can.


Those two passages of scripture are Ephesians 1:3-21 and Revelation 2:2-5. I encourage you to go read the first one, a greeting by Paul to the beloved church of Ephesus as a reminder of all the blessings they have in Christ — blessings, We as children of God have inherited, too.


The second passage, I’ll include below — an encouragement from Jesus Himself, through the words of John in the book of Revelation to the church of Ephesus...


“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” ~ Revelation 2:2-7 ESV


There’s ALOT I don’t understand about God, about this world He created, about the people He placed in power, and about His perfect plan and the purpose He has in all of it.

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Instead of this year being a CATCH 22, Let God, in Christ, by His Word, catch, capture, and keep you!

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Instead of this year being a CATCH 22, Let God, in Christ, by His Word, catch, capture, and keep you!

Catch 22 — a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions;


a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule;


the circumstance or rule that denies a solution; an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation;


a measure or policy whose effect is the opposite of what was intended;


a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives;


a hidden difficulty or means of entrapment


Well, we are almost a full week into the new year, and in year’s past, by now, I’ve chosen and shared my “one word for the year” complete with why I chose it and the how I plan on living it.


But this year’s word had been a bugaboo. You could say, it’s been a CATCH 22...


(I’ll interject here, my husband knows me and my love for words well. He knows my word in 2020 was vision, for obvious reasons, so as 2022 has rolled around, he’s been hinting that my word should be “catch,” and while that’s not my word, the whole concept and meaning behind “catch 22” has got me thinking about the significance of choosing a word for the year...)


So even with it being a bugaboo and a bit of a catch 22, with God’s help, I narrowed it down to a few, but in the search, He impressed this upon my heart:


ONLY ONE WORD CAN TRANSFORM YOU.


It’s not a man-made word found in the pages of a dictionary, It’s the very Word of God found in the pages of The Holy Bible — breathed by Him, penned by men — our daily bread given to us by the Bread of Life — sustainable, unchangeable, infallible.


Instead of this year

being a CATCH 22,

Let God, in Christ, by His Word,

catch, capture, and keep you!

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Even on the Darkest Day, His Perfect Light is Making a Way

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Even on the Darkest Day, His Perfect Light is Making a Way

December 21st.

The darkest day of the year.

The day that declares

winter is officially here.

Darker days

coupled with cooler weather

ushering in

the Light of the World,

our greatest treasure.

In the beginning

and still to this day,

God’s light continues

to make a way.

When He made the world

and when saved it,

in the dark of night

by His power and might,

God said,

“LET THERE BE LIGHT!”

And it was good.

And it’s still good today.

Even in the hard times,

the dark times,

it’s making a way.

Jesus is the light

and He shines brighter

against the backdrop

of a cold, dark world.

Winter may be here,

and the world full of fear,

but that darkness and despair

only highlight

the HOPE of LIGHT and LOVE

given for us.

An innocent babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes.

A vulnerable world

wrapped in His unending love.

The darkest night

Wrapped in His perfect light.

Pure and holy.

Blameless and true.

A winter welcoming warmth

For me and you.

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Words Have Been Hard, But God is Still Good

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Words Have Been Hard, But God is Still Good

Words have been hard, but God is still good.

{Ironically the image I chose to go along with this post is of the Pierce family at Dewayne’s Celebration of Life service where God very powerfully spoke through Dewayne’s wife and each of his five kids with words and tears and supernatural strength. God gave them each perfect words to honor Dewayne — from leading worship to telling funny stories to thanking God for the amazing husband and father Dewayne was and the legacy they’ll each carry on in word and deed.}

I’ve been a little MIA lately on the blog and social media. I know I don’t owe anyone an explanation, but I’m sharing one just the same, because well, God prompted me to attempt to share in words what He’s been sharing with me in and through His Word. So, here goes...

December’s usually when I’m posting the most — Advent’s my favorite, and I usually have lots of thoughts to share as I journey through my Advent devotionals. December’s nostalgic, and I usually have lots of memories to share as I journey through pictures of Christmases past, traditions that have transitioned, and the love that still lasts.

But this year, this season was ushered in by pain, loss, sadness, and questions. Our family lost a dear friend. My best friend lost her husband. My husband lost his best friend. It’s been hard, but God is good.

As we try to make sense of it all, we’re faced with the reality that we will never fully make sense of it all, but even still, God is reminding me in His Word and in this season (that is known for hope and joy and peace) even if...

Words have been hard, He is still good.

Luke 2:18-19 says, “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

While the weary world rejoices around us as we all wonder and marvel at the goodness of God in the message of the Gospel, God’s calling me (and maybe He’s calling you as well) to embrace verse 19 — “BUT Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

You can treasure and ponder SILENTLY AND PRIVATELY — intimately between you and your Savior, not for the whole world to see. And that’s ok. And God’s still good. And His Word is still true, even when and if words fail you.

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“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed” He is with you. He is the Way.

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“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed” He is with you. He is the Way.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9

This verse is the capstone completing God’s commissioning of Joshua. In this verse and the eight that precede it, God is calling Joshua to step up and speak out as he continues the work of his predecessor, Moses.

More than a commission, this charge from God Himself is a command, and the seven words smack dab in the middle of this verse caught my eye and moved my heart...

“do not be afraid, nor be dismayed”

The two words AFRAID and DISMAYED not only sound similar, they have similar meanings. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines them this way:

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Fight Fire with Water, not Fire. Be a Cooler, not a Fueler.

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Fight Fire with Water, not Fire. Be a Cooler, not a Fueler.

I know the familiar phrase, “fight fire with fire" can be taken a few different ways, so let me take a few paragraphs to set the stage…

I’ve always heard that phrase and thought it was a fairly good thing, implying that we should never back down and always stand our ground. Until, that is, when I heard Kayleigh McEnany reference it in the keynote speech she gave at a fundraising event for the Pennsylvania Family Institute. She closed her address with a spin on the popular saying, a spin that was spun by one of her political mentors. His advice to Kayleigh, for some rather hot, heated, and fiery debates she’ll likely find herself in, was simply:

“Fight fire with water, not fire.”

And as she passed that piece of advice on to her audience, it resonated deeply with me. And here’s what I mean…

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If Something is Reality, It Cannot be Conspiracy

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If Something is Reality, It Cannot be Conspiracy

For a year and a half, we’ve lived in a world plagued by a pandemic. We’ve watched life as we know it drastically change in ways that suggest it may never be the same. I’ve written a few articles on the debates fueled by these changes — the first couple about masks, specifically, and my strongly held view of the bigger picture surrounding them, the third about the bigger picture itself, and the last and most recent, a response to an article by John Piper. You can read them at the links below:

The Great Mask Debate

The Great Mask Debate

The Greatest De-Bait

Isn’t Freedom a Reason To Be or Not To Be Vaccinated

My issue all along has not been with a piece of cloth or a shot in the arm, it has been with mandating these things must be done in order for this battle to be won. One thing this past 19 months has revealed is that this war wages on well beyond a pandemic.

And if we continue to give in, this war will never end.

One mandate sets the stage for the next, but even the lunacy, hypocrisy, and inconsistency surrounding the mandates has not been enough to convince the masses that…

If something is reality, it cannot be conspiracy.

Lest I be accused of mincing words, let me put it this way:

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Isn’t Freedom a Reason To Be or Not To Be Vaccinated? — A Response to John Piper’s article: “A Reason to be Vaccinated: Freedom”

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Isn’t Freedom a Reason To Be or Not To Be Vaccinated? — A Response to John Piper’s article: “A Reason to be Vaccinated: Freedom”

You can read (and/or listen to John Piper read) the article in its entirety at the link below. I did both hoping that hearing his tone would help me better understand his heart and his reason for the article, but honestly, it left me confused and concerned about a well respected Christian influencer’s interpretation of freedom.

A Reason to Be Vaccinated: Freedom (Article by John Piper posted on 10/19/21)

Granted, Piper’s article focuses on freedom FROM the fear of man in which he concludes, or rather assumes, for his audience, this freedom leads to a reason FOR vaccination, not FOR choice. He glosses over those who may have chosen not to be vaccinated for various reasons, to focus on those he fears are falling prey to dangerous ideologies or conspiracies that might be the peer pressure holding them back from getting vaxxed.

Isn’t freedom a reason to be or not to be? Isn’t there peer pressure on both sides?

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An Invitation to Conversation

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An Invitation to Conversation

On Thursdays, I BJ’s. I drop Isaac off at co-op, and I head just down the road to our local BJ’s. I had just started a podcast on the three minutes it takes me to get there, and as I was gathering my things to get out of my vehicle, I was tempted to grab my AirPods, put at least one in, hide it behind my hair, and continue listening to my podcast while I shopped.

Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to do this, but I just felt this nudge to not do it. I knew I could finish it later in the day, and so I left them in my car and headed in to shop. I knew what I needed to get. My coupons were clipped. And I thought this would be a quick trip.

But God had other plans.

On the cleaning products aisle, I ran into an old friend. We chatted and laughed. We hugged and encouraged one another in the Lord. We caught each other up on our “kids” — my boys, her girls. It was nice. It blessed us both and made us smile.

And that conversation led to another.

A few minutes later, back at the deli, a lady approached me, apologized if her reason for striking up a conversation seemed odd, and proceeded to tell me she was new to the area and couldn’t help but overhear my conversation with my friend moments earlier. She was craving connection. We chatted about church, community, and how different life had been for the past year and a half. We exchanged contact information, and are planning on having coffee soon.

And that conversation led to another.

After I added a few more items to my cart, as I was pulling a package of deodorant off the shelf, yet another lady approached me with a similar salutation as the last conversation. “I hope you don’t mind, I heard you talking to the lady at the deli and you seemed really friendly and approachable...” She was not new to the area, but she was new to BJ’s and had some questions. We chatted about coupons and the app and a little bit of this and that, and quite honestly, it was lovely, and she was so grateful I took the time to explain these things.

So, as I walked toward the check out and checked the last item off my list, I thanked God for the invitation to conversation He had extended to me before I even stepped foot in the store.

It made me realize how much I’m on my phone and in the zone and how much that affects my body language and tone. Saying yes to an invitation to conversation extends that invitation to others.

3 conversations. Each leading to the next. Invitations to conversations.

How will you say yes to an invitation to conversation today?

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I Have Something to Say about Any Number of “Easy” Ways

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I Have Something to Say about Any Number of “Easy” Ways

I’ve been in the author/speaker/teacher world for a few years now. That being said, I’m really a nobody next to the somebodies in the industry — my friends and followers few, my platform as small as the audience that surrounds it.

So, if being successful in the industry, adds to my validity, you really have no reason to listen to little ol’ me.

That’s why I will forever beg you to not listen to me, and instead listen only to Him. No need to follow me. Just follow Jesus. He will never lead you astray.

As long as I have breath in my lungs and God’s Word in my heart, my boast will forever remain in Him. My source of truth and the reason for everything I do will forever be because He made me, forgave me, and saved me.

If I want others to have an abundant life in Christ, my words must always point them to God’s Word.

His Way.

His Will.

His Word.

My words will always fall short.

His Word never returns void.

When I first started writing more publicly, the advice I was given was that “easy sells” and “less is more.” Consolidate your thoughts into 3-5, maybe up to 10 things/ways/keys to a better this, an easier that, but whatever you promise, make it STAT!

And I can do that. And I have done that. And then I think, “who am I to promise a foolproof way of doing anything?”

Remember, I’m a nobody. A nobody that is loved by God Almighty. He alone gives me the keys to practicality.

People want practical. Hey, I’m wired that way, too. I’m not knocking practical application of Biblical truth.

But empty, gimmicky promises, while they may sell, do not age well.

Life is not formulaic, it’s a mosaic that God designs and refines using the fragments of a broken life molded by the pressure of living in a broken world.

I don’t want to grow my audience, I want my audience to GROW — in maturity, not quantity.

I want to build God’s Kingdom, not a platform.

I want to give others a “Who Through,” not a “how to.”

I desperately want to know Him more so I can make Him known in this desperate world.

3 keys to this...

5 steps to that...

10 ways to a better...

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There are Two Sides to Every Story...Until There’s Not, and Then What?

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There are Two Sides to Every Story...Until There’s Not, and Then What?

There are two sides to every story until there’s not, and then what?

On April 21, 2020, a month into a global pandemic, there was a whole lot going on in my heart (there still is), but there were also a whole lot of unknowns, a whole lot of new ideas, theories, and data, and a whole whole lot of personal opinions. I processed my take on it all in this social media post entitled, There are Two Sides to Every Story months before I began officially “blogging” on my website.

And I FELT every word of that post, and I meant it, too. I still do. There are passionate people on both sides. Passionate for extremely personal reasons. Passionate because of this incredibly hard season.

Fast forward almost a year and a half later, and while there are still (and always will be) unknowns, there is a whole lot more research, data, and experience forming and fueling these ideas and theories (and a theory can be just that, a plain ol’ theory devoid of any conspiracy).

That being said. I still believe...

There are two sides to every story...until there’s not, and then what?

What exactly do I mean? Well, let me explain by telling you what I see...

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