The author of the passage below is unknown. It was supposedly found on a dead soldier in the Civil War and was shared with me by one of our church family, whom most of you probably know:

I asked God for strength that I might achieve, but I was made weak that I might humbly obey.

I asked for help that I might do greater things, but I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

One of my favorite Thanksgivings was when our children were in elementary school. We knew we were going to be gathering with family in the afternoon, but God profoundly put on our hearts to do something for others that morning. At that time, McDonald’s was doing a throwback to their 29-cent hamburgers and 39-cent cheeseburgers. Remember that?! 

Over a year ago, my daughter introduced me to the New York Times game Wordle. The player has six opportunities to guess the word of the day before the puzzle closes. Part of the fun for me (along with finding the word) is sharing my score with my “Wordle Crew”—my daughter and her husband in Chicago, my sister in Cincinnati, and my niece and her friend in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I once had a sign on the bulletin board in my office that pictured a runner straining for the finish line and underneath were the words “Finish Well!” I had placed it there as a reminder to continue strong in ministry to the last day.

If you are reading this, then it’s likely you are a Christian. If you are a Christian and believe God is sovereign and in control, then it follows that you also believe He has a plan for each of us (remember the sovereignty thing!). Do you ever wonder what that plan is? Another way of phrasing this is, “Do you wonder what God’s will for you is?”

Recently, our family celebrated my wonderful father’s 80th birthday. It was such a special time gathering with family and friends and honoring Dad’s goodness. As I was preparing the blessing I was going to give at Dad’s party, I reflected back to his rock bottom moment that happened almost 10 years ago. 

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are referred to as sheep, often not in a complimentary context. The prophet Isaiah rails: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray…” (Is. 53:6), affirming the fact that sheep are known for wandering off and getting lost.

One thing I’ve never been much good at is loving myself.

I’ve seen it before as an egotistical practice. Prideful; self-centered; self-serving. It’s probably because I hadn’t thought of self-care as a means of self-sacrifice.

As I grow older, I am constantly reminded that I am human and frail. My body parts seem to malfunction more frequently and take longer to heal. I seem to have pains in places I did not know I had. I'm apparently falling apart and find myself realizing the process is not going to stop until it does.

All of my life, I have loved everything water…a pool, the beach, the lake, the river. When I was little, my dear grandfather taught me how to swim and I would swim for hours, every day of the summer. He called me his ‘water princess’ and I felt like the pool was my palace.

Every now and again I get the urge to think about familiar scriptures from God’s point of view. Such was the case a few weeks ago when I was studying the 23rd Psalm. This beloved psalm never fails to help me in times of trouble. But as I was meditating on it, I began to hear it – not from David’s point of view, but from God’s. And here is how it sounded.

Do you ever have bad days? I do, and I believe we all have bad days from time to time. You may know the kind of days I’m talking about. Those days when things just do not go right for whatever reason, and in any conceivable manner. Those may be the days when you question yourself, your faith, and even God’s actions. What’s up and why me, God? Am I a good Christian? Am I living up to God’s expectations?

Ever since I was a child, I have had some difficulty with the concept of being quiet.  I was an early talker and am told, I haven’t stopped since.  I remember being in the 4th grade and was mortified when my teacher, Mrs. Huber, told my parents she was going to be sending a note home every Friday for a month, informing them if my “talking out of turn” had improved. 

Since Noah called me out in his recent sermon, I thought I would write a devotion on the subject. 😉

Perhaps you are familiar with Ephesians 4:15 which reads: “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,”

Last month our family celebrated four birthdays: my brother-in-law in Ohio, and locally my son, his daughter, and his mother-in-law. Along with the usual cards and gifts, we marked the occasion with brunch, swimming, cake, brownies, and pumpkin pie (my son’s favorite). It was a great reminder of how special each of us is to God.

A few weeks ago, I was contemplating a passage I had just read. I cannot remember what it was, but it contained some comments regarding worship. As usual, when the Spirit nudges me, He puts a topic in my mind such that I can’t let it go.

The game of hide and seek has been around for as long as there have been children. I have had lots of these games with my kids and now my grandkids. I played it when I was a kid too. I’m not really sure I like the game. What if I can’t find them? What if they stop looking for me?

GROWING in Faith Never Stops…Even If We Think We’re All Grown Up

Some of us have been in church long enough to remember when flannel-graphs were the cutting edge and the arrival of drums in worship meant the end times were probably next Tuesday.

Let’s do a little word association game. I say “EVANGELISM,” you say… ___________

“PANIC!”

For many of us, especially those of us raised in the Lutheran tradition, inviting someone to church feels only slightly less terrifying than doing your taxes while public speaking. In your underwear. While being live-streamed.

Church should feel less like going to a performance and more like a family reunion (minus the mystery Jell-O salad and awkward socks/sandals combination). But here’s the thing: family reunions only work when everyone feels like family.