life. faithful.

Here in Arkansas, it's definitely not spring yet...but there are glimpses of it. The first thing you see are the jonquils, and they seem to pop up out of nowhere. They are bunched across the countryside, along back roads and creek beds, many planted by early settlers to the region and a whole lot of others that have spread through the decades along flood paths.     Then there are the frogs singing at night--not loud yet, but there, calling out with tentative voices. The chickens take notice of the days growing longer and egg production starts to pick back up. They also take notice of the green starting to sprout--oregano is a favorite.   But inevitably, the hint of spring is followed by another freeze. It comes almost every year, the false spring that leads to early buds on trees and the danger of frost killing off the delicate buds. I've heard people talk about how bad the false hope is, how these early nice days only serve to get their hopes up and then the winter retur...

 We see the Christmas story in a neat, polished picture: a serene young mother, Mary, with her doting husband by her side as they adore a peaceful new baby while the animals watch quietly; beautiful angels singing in the night sky to a group of shepherds who then bow around the manger; 3 kings decked out in all their splendor. We speak of peace on earth and depict the birth of Christ as a moment solely of peace and joy and all the happy feelings. But the peace of Christmas isn't about a neat, polished story where everything is going perfectly. The young mother? She was far from home with only her new husband, expecting a baby that had most likely made her the subject of rumors since she first started showing. She had endured a trip of around 70 miles at the end of her very first pregnancy, not really knowing what to expect or when the baby would come. She got to a new city where she was given a place in a stable instead of a room, then gave birth to her first baby far from home in ...

 It's the season of Advent, the time set aside for celebration and reflection as we count down to Christmas day. "Advent" means (from the American Heritage Dictionary) "The coming or arrival of something or someone that is important or worthy of note." As a tradition, the celebration of this season has been around for at least 1,500 years...but it's not something I grew up with in a Southern Baptist/Methodist family. This year, though, I feel drawn to focus in these days leading up to Christmas. This first week, my focus is hope. When we generally talk about hope, our meaning usually leans more toward wishing for something. We talk about something we would like to see happen, but something we're really not sure about...we  hope  for our team to win a game, we  hope  to get a certain gift, we  hope  to get to go on a vacation, we  hope  for a certain political outcome. There's a secondary definition of hope, though--to have confidence or trust...

 I'm sure you see it--God reassuring us that He always keeps His promises. In this case, in the murder of Charlie Kirk, we see God working as He did in the life of Joseph: " As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. " (Genesis 50:20)  The physical outcome for Charlie was different from what Joseph experienced, but the promise holds true. What man meant for evil, God is using for good. Through that horrific death, God is drawing people across the world to Himself. I've heard estimates that 100 million people watched the memorial service. And while I don't agree with everything that was said, I am incredibly thankful that so many people heard the gospel preached without shame. We're being told that we're at a turning point (and that's another place I can see the hand of God in this story, in the simple choice of a name for an organization that h...

My husband and I were talking to our kids the other day about how important it is for them to learn to stand for their beliefs and live the life God has called them to now, while it is easy. We were talking about how one day in the future, they will most likely be forced to either cave to the world or stand for God, and in that moment the decision will mean a whole lot more than just social standing. Right now, Christians in the United States have been given a reprieve. The election of Trump was honestly not something I expected. I've written for quite a few years now about the decline of our nation, and I know I'm not the first--or only--one to point out the downward spiral of morality that we've been seeing for decades. As a nation founded by men who claimed the protection of God, I truly believe we chose to be held to the standards of the covenants we entered. God keeps His side of His promises--the good and the bad. That means that broken covenants have consequences. Wh...

 Just a few days ago, the pope sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes. While I disagree with quite a bit of what he said (we could talk about his definition of "conservative" or his views on immigration into the United States here, but that would make for a long post), there was one question and response that really got to me: Q: "When you look at the world what gives you hope?"  The pope was given the perfect opportunity with this question. It's one he should have jumped on, an opportunity spoken of in scripture: " Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15) Norah O'Donnell tossed him a question that he should have hit out of the park! His answer? A: "Everything. You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things. You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People...

 You've heard all this "God stuff." You've listened to the preachers up on the stage in their 3-piece suits, talking about how God loves you. You've seen all the little church ladies, heard them talk about how God will take all the things in your past and wash them away, leaving your soul white as snow. You've heard the testimonies, how people came out of lives of sin and darkness, how broken lives were put back together and relationships were repaired. You've tried listening to "Amazing Grace" on repeat. But there's still that nagging feeling, that voice telling you over and over again that God's grace can't reach you. Your sins are too dark, your mistakes too big, your past too much, your future too hopeless. Sure, God forgives...but that forgiveness is for people who are really good at heart, people who just messed up, who didn't mean to do the awful things, people who really didn't have a choice. God doesn't really wan...

The presents are all opened. The feasts have all turned into leftovers, reminders of the meals shared with friends and family. The ugly sweaters are once again relegated to the very back of the closet... until next year. Soon, lights and decorations will be taken down and here in Arkansas we'll move into the cold of winter.   The anticipation of Christmas is gone, replaced for a moment by the anticipation of the New Year... but everybody knows it isn't the same. That's because everyone knows there's something different about Christmas. The joy and hope you see on faces is different because it stems up from someplace deeper, somewhere at the core of each one of us. It is a hope that comes from that place in the soul of each person, from that deep down hidden place that knows each of us is made to be connected to the Divine.   For some, that joy and peace hinted at at Christmas very quickly give way to a quiet desperation, a search for the connection you were meant for. T...