When God Says No

When God Says No

Prayer is a Christian’s lifeline to the God of all creation. Entering the throne of grace, we find a place where burdens are lifted, praises are sung, and requests are left at His feet with full assurance that He will answer with a yes, no, or wait.  We rejoice when the answer is yes to […]

The Prayer That Never Fails

The Prayer That Never Fails

Prayer is hard work. It seems like it should be easy, right? How hard is it to simply talk to God? But so many things crowd out this most simple and most important thing. When my heart spontaneously turns to prayer, I’m always thankful and then wonder, “Why don’t I do this every five minutes?” […]

Pray; Don’t Nag

Pray; Don’t Nag

“Where do you live?” As a pastor’s wife I have had to learn to make conversation with strangers as I’ve sought to welcome visitors into our home and church. That question is one of my go-to’s in order to break the ice. Everyone lives somewhere, right? So, it’s usually a pretty safe bet that you […]

Prayer’s Middle: Living in Longing

Life has beginnings and ends, some welcome and others hard to receive, but most of our living is in the middle. Most prayer is spent in the “middle” too. Prayer first appears in Scripture in Genesis 4 when “people began to call upon the name of the Lord” (v. 26). There is no further explanation […]

Praying Together: Famine or Feast

Praying Together: Famine or Feast

Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 We were newlyweds sitting around our cafe-style kitchen table, trying to establish a pattern of praying together. I used many words; he was quiet before praying a few words.  “This isn’t how […]

Trauma in Ministry Workshop

Interpersonal conflicts, forced terminations, personal & spiritual attacks; crisis, abuse and mental illness counseling–most, if not all, of these events become a part of every ministry family’s lives over the course of their time serving God’s church. With these experiences come so many emotions and thoughts. Many of these have lifelong effects on our husbands […]