Locations & Times

My first serving role at church wasn’t exactly glamorous. I wasn’t preaching. I wasn’t leading worship. I wasn’t making big decisions. I was a door greeter. Basically, I was a glorified doorstop. I stood there holding the door, giving high fives, throwing out fist bumps...

Whatever you do, work heartily for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV) My husband, Zane and I volunteered at a Young Life camp for a week. We were assigned to work in the...

I used to look at pastors and other church leaders and think I needed to do something like that, otherwise I wasn’t really working for the Lord. It’s so easy to see the visible roles and think those are the only roles that matter for God. But I’ve learned that this isn’t...

  For twenty years, I served in the United States Air Force, and when people found that out, I would often get some version of the same question: “Oh, were you a pilot?” I never took offense to it even though I wasn’t. But it makes sense. When most people think about the...

“Are you sure?”  The leaders of the hospitality team at the church looked at me, confused as to why I was not excitedly accepting their offer. I stood there with my arms folded defensively, yet trying to hear them out. “What do you mean? Yes, of course! We think you would...

Do you ever read your Bible and think, God seems harsh and scary? I did for years until I learned more about God and His character. Now, I see God differently. He is full of unfailing love and grace. God is our Protector, Defender, and Intercessor. God is also just. He disciplines and corrects...

Does your reputation reflect your spiritual reality? When nobody is watching, is your faith as strong as your public appearance seems to portray? We may not like to admit it, but our appearance means a lot to us. We spend a lot of time curating perfect posts, saying just the right things, and...

Have you ever swam in the ocean and looked up to realize you're nowhere near where you started? A few years ago, my wife and I were living in a beach town. I decided to try surfing. I'm a lifelong snowboarder and thought, how hard could this be? Turns out it's a lot harder than it looks. But it...

Thirty-five miles north of Ephesus stood the city of Smyrna. The Church of Smyrna was the second of the seven churches to receive a letter, the words of Jesus, written by the Apostle John. Jesus encouraged the Church of Smyrna to remain faithful in the face of relentless opposition. Jesus...

Imagine sitting across from your spouse one evening after a long week.  You’ve been working hard. Paying the bills. Taking care of the house. Running kids to practices. Showing up where you're supposed to show up. Then your spouse looks at you and says: "I know you're here...but I...