What We Were Created For

“Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain” (Jude 11a ESV) Jude is referring to “people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” - as he noted earlier (v4) What about today? How ‘bout you? Jude highlighted the stark contrast between two identical “twins”, Cain and Abel. There was and never will be two people…

Has God given you a vision that is yet unfulfilled? Has He assigned you a task that is still incomplete, though you’ve done everything you know to do? Waiting periods in our life often prepare us for God’s purposes. Maybe there’s a rough edge He must smooth or a relationship He wants to restore before He’ll fully accomplish His purposes. He could be plumbing the depths of your faith, expanding its borders, and proving Himself faithful. Sometimes He&rsquo…

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people." Jude 1:3 (ESV) What does that mean to you? It struck me as extremely profound and relevant. We as believers have been subject to the enemy's assault since day one. But how do we handle that? Interestingly enough, this is the only place…

I just completed a reading plan on the YouVersion Bible App. Written by Bob Goff, it’s called Dream Big. I was encouraged to stop hovering 10 feet above my dream. To pitch forward a little bit and get my wheels on the ground. I like that metaphor. So often we aren’t willing to risk what’s necessary to step into our appointed destiny. The purpose in which we were created. As a business coach, I would challenge clients to go beyond the usual goals of…

For those of us who walked the aisle in a covenant relationship, there was a cloud of witnesses to encourage us into the unpredictable journey of marriage. In my case, the first time around, 6 people stood on each side of my bride and me - all of us in our 20’s and clueless as to what came next. My groomsmen were there to witness what might lie ahead. The vast unknown of a relationship that would later go sideways. Not the original intent. For much of my life, I…

We invited our dear friend Mark to share a devotional he wrote for the guests and staff at Water Street Mission. I trust you'll be as encouraged as I was in reading and studying it. I recall the delight of seeing the expression on my granddaughter’s face when she saw a balloon for the first time. She laughed uncontrollably when I blew air into the balloon and then let it go. As it deflated it fluttered and danced around the room until it was empty again. I…

Do you ever wonder what your purpose is as a woman? Your identity as a woman in this world? In the book of Genesis, our purpose and true identity as a woman is revealed. I believe this Scripture is misinterpreted by a lot of people, especially women.  It is important that we understand it correctly and live up to our full potential. And the Lord God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.' - Genesis 2:18 )…

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of touring the Lancaster County Prison as part of an orientation preceding my application as a volunteer under the Chaplaincy program there. After meeting the Deputy Warden in the lobby, receiving instructions, a walk through the metal detector, and a few more passes with the wand we entered the facility. Not my first rodeo in this environment. More on that later. LCP was built in 1851. Parts of the original structure are still around…

It was clear that God asked me to bring a meal to our neighbor this past Sunday. We had plenty of chili leftover after feeding friends and family. It just made sense that I would share it with someone close by. The back story being that our neighbor lives a pretty reclusive life. Very little interaction with us except an occasional hello or good morning. Which is why I thought this would be a nice gesture. The oddest thing happened. He turned down the offer. There I stood…