-
Never Too Old to Have Impact for Christ
Don’t forget Anna! As you recount the Christmas story and tell about the angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, the baby in the manger, and the wise men, don’t forget Anna. Who was she? Anna was an 84-year-old woman who also brought gifts to the parents of the Christ-child and others around her. No one is ever too old to have impact on others for Christ. Anna, an old woman with impact on others This is what Luke wrote about Anna, “Now when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…There was also…
-
You have a dream you believe God gave you…and it shatters. Where is God when dreams die?
Just today I heard a terrific businessman say that he tries to set his goals for the following year in mid-November so he can ease off and let them marinate during the holidays, then tweak them and be ready to charge forward come January 1. And immediately I thought of Phil Vischer, aka Bob the Tomato and the creator of VeggieTales. If ever anyone set a big hairy audacious goal it was Phil. Phil believed God wanted him to create a “Christian Disney” company. He even called it “Big Idea.” The company soared. Millions were blessed. Then Big Idea went bankrupt. Phil had to sell Bob and his entire…
-
The Power of an Expert Speaking as a Fellow Traveler: Phillip Johnson
When my husband Jack was in seminary he was taught to speak as the expert from a posture of strength. If you talk about weakness, struggle or failure, speak in hindsight from the place of victory won. It’s not always safe to talk about your weaknesses. You don’t want to give your detractors or enemies ammunition. (Especially in churches.) In today's culture that mindset is changing. But, If you are an expert, why would you want to try to speak as a fellow-traveler? What might be the benefits of exposing your weaknesses, speaking of your struggles, or even failures? In the academy? In churches? Phillip Johnson, the father of…
-
Impact, Calling, Serving…”Do You Know Your Destiny?”
“Thank you for teaching my son why we celebrate Christmas. Our family never knew the reason why we celebrated Christmas. We thought it was all about giving gifts and never knew it was because of the birth of Jesus.” Believe it our not, these words were spoken to me in January 1991 by the mother of a three year old in my preschool class. I was surprised by what she said as she shared from her heart with such sincerity and gratitude. You see, I just assumed when I was teaching the lesson about the birth of Jesus that the ten children in my classroom already knew the story and…
-
Does Sponsoring a Child Do Any Good?
Recently, I wrote about child sponsorship as one way to help end child trafficking. But, how do we know thought that child sponsorship makes any impact or does any good? Christianity Today answered this in their June 2013 cover story about a study done on Compassion International and it's impacts. It turns out that it actually does an amazing amount of good when you sponsor a child. Why? Because you bring them something greater than your $35 per month. You bring them hope. I can remember dreaming as a child what I'd want to be when I grew up. I'm sure most of us reading this can remember…
-
Here Comes The Bride – Impacting Lives From Generation to Generation
The candles were lit – shining brightly in the midst of the moment. The musician was playing a sweet melody on the piano, setting the mood for the evening. The guests were all seated and the bridal party was in place – everyone was waiting with great anticipation for that special moment.
-
Ode to Bob the Tomato OR Making an Idol out of Impact
This last week I was asked, "Who has been your favorite interview?" And I surprised myself with who immediately came to mind: "Phil Vischer," I replied, "the creator of VeggieTales." And here's why…it's the picture of the ruthless love of God that comes through Phil's story, Me, Myself and Bob."
