I’m not going to get into a theological discussion here. I’m not going to compare and contrast every Bible verse I can find and try to discern the Spirit to interpret meaning. That’s another post. Another day. For now, suffice it to say that lately I’ve been feeling some despair. I have endless personal experience with God’s answer to my prayers. I even have countless examples of God answering prayers I didn’t even know I had prayed....
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Does your congregation include many single adults? Or is your church membership comprised mainly of married couples and families? Or maybe you’re facing an ever-aging population and wonder how you can get young adults (many of whom are single) integrated into your church membership. This infographic provides a scale of immersion singles may or may not be experiencing in your church. Depending upon where your church’s culture falls on...
Read MoreTwo times in my life I’ve gotten star struck. I got sweaty. My words tripped over my tongue. I was too shy to maintain eye contact. In short, I looked like a fool. The first time was when I met Jennifer Buffett. She was speaking at a Greater Milwaukee Foundation event and I was working at a non-profit at the time. I attended the luncheon with my Executive Director, who knew Jennifer, and introduced us after her speech. I was struck...
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I just spent a few days in heaven, a.k.a. Camp Luther in Three Lakes, Wisconsin, cottaging with friends. We spent our days kayaking, swimming, hiking, frisbee golfing, and eating. We spent our evenings playing board games, glow-in-the-dark bocce ball, and staying up way longer than is smart. My friends and I usually find a few hours each day to get deep into conversation about our lives and our faith. It was during one of these...
Read MoreI hate to start out writing with a cliche, but in this instance the “Merriam-Webster’s defines ‘idol’ as…” works so very well. So…Merriam-Webster’s defines “idol” as: a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, revered an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship one that is adored often blindly or excessively. The first definition isn’t bad, right? But the second we have a problem with. This is the what God...
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A few weeks ago I wrote this post about despair. I’ve been having trouble praying in any meaningful way because fear got a hold of me. As I told a friend at church, the despair stemmed from fear. Fear that God wouldn’t answer my prayers. Fear to pray because I had lost hope that He was capable and willing to give me good things. So I didn’t pray. Or when I did I copped out and prayed the “God you know what’s in my heart” prayers. Or I...
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For a few months now I’ve been feeling the call back to the mission field. I’ve wrestled with the timing. I’ve prayed about it. I’ve tried to convince God that now’s not the time. I’ve questioned him. I’ve tried to ignore it. Then I just decided to do what I need to do and let God take care of the rest. When a few friends from church suggested it to me, it seemed like I was on the right path. And then a pastor friend encouraged me to...
Read MorePart One, Part Two After nearly two weeks of waiting I finally kept calling my doctor’s office until they got back to me. I know they’re busy. But having a sister in the healthcare industry means that I know test results are sent electronically within hours and my doc should know by now what the ultrasound shows. When I finally get Dr. Stephanie on the phone it’s apparent that the ultrasound didn’t show her much of anything. Or, at...
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