…the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.
Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me (Song of Solomon 2:12)
Be like the dove, He said… [click to continue…]
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100 Words
Cohen is an expert crawler.
He can cross a room lickety-split on his hands and knees.
He’s an awful walker.
He’s learning. But why risk injury when he can get there safely on all fours?
His parents don’t treat his crawling ability as a special gift, however.
It’s just a skill that helps him until the greater abilities arrive.
Same goes for you and God. [click to continue…]
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Something charming about the word, “first.”
We remember first loves, first cars, first dates.
Sometimes we remember what others can’t – like first birthdays, first steps…
And yes, first snow.
The first experience of anything significant
Carries a unique mix of curiosity and delight… [click to continue…]
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Coaster cars parked, bumper cars boarded up. The carousel still and silent.
The sign says, “Open March 12.” [click to continue…]
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In church Sunday…
One guy holds a guitar. Another guy, 14 months old, holds somebody’s keys.
One leads with structured, heartfelt songs. The other freely moves, but stays in touch with Mama.
One is concerned with decency and order – the other, with intimacy and relationship.
The one before me is saying a prayer. The one below me says “Dada” over and over again with love and joy.
With a plan and a band, one leads in worship. With white-blonde hair aimed in 20 directions and a smile aimed straight at me, the other models it with his delighted life.
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(You can make it yours, too.)
Because of God’s unsparing love for me,
I am a new creation of infinite worth.
I am chosen to live because He wanted me.
I am destined for a purpose because He called me.
I belong to his family because He connected me.
I am righteous in his sight because He covered me.
I am beautiful to behold because He crafted me.
Whenever my lifestyle, loneliness or looks
Try to condemn or accuse me,
I will raise the banner He purchased in blood,
And find my peace in His victorious love.
I AM my Beloved’s, and He is mine!
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Dear Carrie,
Sorry you weren’t here for your birthday (hope things are going well in Kenya).
But we wanted you to know we celebrated anyway.
We got this cake, exchanged presents and gave festive cards in honor of the occasion.
The family got together for a wonderful meal, and there was a picture of you somewhere, just to remember the REAL reason for the season.
I know it must feel really odd for people to celebrate your birthday and hardly mention your name.
So I took care of that. I put it on the cake!
Season’s Greetings! YO HO HO!
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We live in a broken world, but we don’t have to accept brokenness as the final answer.
We are broken people, but our lives don’t have to be defined by the irreparable messes we’ve made or the grave wounds we carry.
In the hands of a Healer,
And the heart of an Artist,
We are more than a pile of useless pieces.
We are His work of art.
And in a stunning act of clarity and focus,
He chose…
Only…
To work…
With broken pieces.
But He insists that you entrust all the broken pieces of your life to Him.
(This beautiful glass mosaic is the art of Kelly Aloha, of Caloma, California. Visit her studio on the river the next time you visit the Caloma Valley.)
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Laura Kate getting a kiss from Laverne. Shirley, Mary, and Martha are close by.
When play is a full-time occupation – a sign of health and strength…
When laughter and tears, courage and fears trade places in a matter of seconds…
When growth is expected,
Learning is an hourly occurrence,
Desires are unmasked and transparent,
And trust is as natural as breathing…
When love is the only commodity worth sharing,
And forgiveness is spoken in hugs and pats…
When holding – or resting in those stronger arms – are the universal symbols of peace and oneness…
When wonder and anticipation drive us toward new discoveries with abandon and imagination…
Of such, Jesus said, is the Kingdom.
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If you’re in church leadership, you know the challenge of weekly developing an experience that’s creative, energetic, uplifting, anointed (gotta be anointed), and most important of all – as cool as the church down the street.
It’s a daunting task.
Fortunately, the folks at Northpoint in Atlanta have produced a resource that will change your life and revolutionize your church.
Or at least give you a laugh, as they spoof themselves.
Check out the video below, follow the easy-to-understand template, and you’ll be renting your city auditorium in no-time, just to keep up with the masses who are flooding in.
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