-
Walking in the Wilderness
This post was originally published in 2012. But it fits as much today as it did then. I once had a mentor tell me that the lessons of our lives often go in circles, just like Israel wandered a circular path in the wilderness. The older I grow, the more I see the cycles—the same lessons are learned more deeply as we step into new but different places. If you find yourself walking through a wilderness season, take heart. God is using the deeply worn pathways to teach you and take you somewhere good. Forty years—it sounds like an eternity. I’m sure it felt that way for the Israelites too.…
-
Then They Remembered Jesus’s Words
Jesus died around three in the afternoon (Luke 23:44–46). The faithful and courageous women disciples who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee—including his mother, Mary—stayed with him until he exhaled his last breath. Then they followed those who carried his body to the tomb to see where it was laid. After that they returned home to prepare aromatic spices and perfumes for anointing and preserving the body (Luke 23:55–56). How exhausted and devastated the women must have felt. We believed he was the Messiah! He was going to start a new kingdom. But we watched him die. He raised others from the dead so why did he let himself be crucified?…
-
When Life Gets Hard, Take a Step
I think most of us would agree. The past two years haven’t been our best ones. Death and disease flood our newsfeeds. Disaster and destruction shock us far too frequently. Chaos and questions keep us unsettled. Just when we think life is returning to a normal pace, another unwelcomed surprise forces us to change course, adjust, delay. For someone who thrives on consistently, I often wonder where the routine has gone. But as I reflect over the past year, I see one main theme emerge in my life—take a step. For the first part of 2021 a black cloud seemed to hover over my existence. Fear kept me wondering what…
-
Justin Bieber’s Face Tattoo May Just Inspire You
Justin Bieber boasts a tattoo count of 50 plus. He has so many tattoos that MTV news once made an interactive "Justin Bieber Tat Map" allowing enthusiastic fans to discover the details of Justin Bieber's ink—oh, the magic of the internet. The animated map is tens of tats behind, but this month it became decidedly outdated when Justin added a small cross tattoo to a previously clean area of his body, his face. Jonboy, the artist who tattooed Justin's face, told Us, “Justin came in last night and decided on a small cross near the corner of his eye. It represents his journey in finding purpose with God.” The cross on his face isn't Justin's first religious tattoo.…
