I have very clear memories of lunchtimes on several first days in several new schools, when I would stand at the edge of a crowded, noisy cafeteria, clutching the edges of a plastic tray.
Crossroads: God Hears Us
January 16, 2023 by
I had a tough year when I was in the sixth grade. One of the hardest parts, though, was not having any close friends at school. I prayed and I prayed for God to help me. And God heard my prayers.
Connections 09.11.2022: About Us, or For Us?
September 4, 2022 by
One of the wonderful things about Jesus’ parables is the way we can find ourselves in them. When Jesus tells a story about a prodigal child, or a faithful servant, or a lost sheep, we can take encouragement from the ways Jesus shows his real-life love.
Connections 01.30.2022: God Is Still Calling Us
January 23, 2022 by
Have you ever heard God speak to you? I have. In forty-four years of life, I’ve felt the nudging of God in many small moments. That voice hasn’t come to me out loud, through fire, or in any other spectacular way.
Connections 01.09.2022: God Is Still Delivering Us
January 2, 2022 by
I volunteer for the Jay’s HOPE Foundation, a nonprofit based in Macon, Georgia, that serves families battling childhood cancer. Through free family events, care packages, gift cards for meals and gas, and much more, Jay’s HOPE offers support to families.
Connections 05.02.2021: Knowing God Loves Us
April 25, 2021 by
When I attended Mercer University, the Baptist Student Union (now Baptist Collegiate Ministries) had three student-led ministry groups that involved performing arts.
Connections 01.24.2021: To Us
January 17, 2021 by
Jesus came to reveal God to us. This doesn’t mean that God hadn’t revealed God’s self to people before Jesus came.
Connections 05.24.2020: Let Us Pray
May 17, 2020 by
Jesus’ followers had watched him ascend to heaven. Before he ascended, he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. As they gathered to wait, they “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer…” (v. 14a).
Connections 03.29.2020: The Lord Hears Us
March 22, 2020 by
It’s Monday, March 16, and I’m writing this on a strange, surreal day during a strange, surreal time in the life of our country.
Meditations on Luke: A Judas Living Inside Each of Us
March 13, 2018 by
In his memoir Telling Secrets, writer and preacher Frederick Buechner tells about his childhood after his father committed suicide. In addition to the trauma of losing his dad was the grief of being forbidden to speak of what happened.
Formations 02.25.2018: Let Us Go to Him
February 18, 2018 by
The writer of Hebrews was tricky. One Greek word he uses over and over translates to “draw near” or “approach.” In the Greek Old Testament, to “approach” God was something priests did. It was the common term for worship, entering the defined sacred space of the temple in order to offer a sacrifice.
Formations 07.31.2016: The Things that Drive Us
July 24, 2016 by
Even though I grew up in the Midwest, my family roots are in Kentucky. It’s where most of my extended family lives, where I attended seminary, and where my thoughts always turn on the first Saturday in May.
Connections 06.12.2016: Them and Us
June 5, 2016 by
Judgment is real and necessary, but it’s nothing to be happy about.
God’s not happy about it. We shouldn’t be happy about it.
Flame: God Is Close to Us Safety Pins
February 17, 2016 by
Here’s an idea to help emphasize God’s closeness to us, wherever we are, and whatever we’re doing. It works for adults or children, individuals or groups, so be prepared.