“Great is the art of the beginning, but greater is the art of ending. "—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow You may or may not know, but we are walking through a season of transition as we've left our church of 23 years and are looking for a new church home. All that to say,...
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A good Father doesn’t give us what we demand, thankfully
I am seeing more that God is so very good. He is personal. He takes note of our vulnerabilities and loves us anyway. He is a good father. But just because he is a good father doesn't mean everything will turn out the way we want it to. He sees multi-dimensionally,...
The Problem with Christian Celebrity Culture
Christian celebrity culture is unreal, unhealthy, and unholy. It deceives. Celebrities move from believing the reality of their own sinful desires to deceiving themselves to believe they’re invincible, powerful, and without fault. It ingratiates. When someone becomes...
Out of the Nest into the Next
We are praying, seeking, and getting counsel. We’ve experienced a cataclysmic shift in the past few months, and we wonder what God is up to. Would you pray for us? Pray that we would honor him in our decisions. Pray that we would be quiet enough to listen. Pray that...
Merch Church: Should that be a thing?
Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money, but many churches today suffer from “affluenza.” Whether it be treating celebrities well in special seats or currying favor with wealthy congregants, some churches violate James 2:2-4. “For example, suppose someone comes...
When I Set Down Lent Painting
You may have noticed a lapse in painting videos recently. This is the explanation. Sometimes you have to say no, especially when something becomes a have to rather than a want to. I have loved painting for Lent, but this year is different. It became more chore than...
I have False Refuges
So much I’m learning in this season. My anxiety has quadrupled, it seems. I’m learning how I have chased after false refuges. Finances: when all is well, they bring peace. When they’re in flux, my stomach roils. Home: it’s typically been my place of peace and retreat,...
Jesus Doesn’t Need our Sparkle
This morning I read from @ct_mag : "What the Asbury Revival Taught Me about Gen Z" by Kevin Brown. In it, he writes about the worship teams who participated. "Without being directed, they played from the side of the stage, outside the spotlight. This was consistent...
The Church is not a Corporation
Ever since we began our marriage planting a church, we have been studying and observing church. We have experienced so many amazing bodies of believers all over the world, from French speakers in Montreal, to a group of students in Vietnam, to the wealthy of Monaco to...
How Letting Go of Things Helps us Let Go of Toxic Relationships
Recently I thought about how easy it has become for me to discard things that are no longer serving us or our home. I apply this William Morris' quote quite liberally: 'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful' Honestly,...
Need a new worship playlist?
I'm walking through a season in my relationship with God and his church to the point that overused worship songs fall flat to me. For whatever reason, I can't seem to participate in them, and so many of the internal messages of modern worship songs are about me-me-me....
The Problem of Exceptional Thinking
"I'll be the exception to the rule." This is the kind of thinking that has stolen my joy. For years. Some examples: "Planting a church in France is hard. It's known as the missionary graveyard." Surely not! (But oh it was, and we were not the exception to the rule....