Messy Hands

This past Sunday was the beginning of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas that celebrates the coming of Christ. In our church service we lit the first of four candles for Advent, a symbol of our anticipation and hope of Christ’s coming. In front of us sat a young couple with their toddler daughter, a tiny winter-clothed bundle …

Stop Ignoring the Dark Places

Last Thursday night we gathered around two empty bar stools and waited for them to be filled. The sounds of conversations and glasses clinking filled my ears and I sat anxiously waiting for the event to begin. The Exodus Road  (http://www.theexodusroad.com/), based out of Colorado Springs, was hosting a night to give a louder voice to the work they are …

Go Out From Your Land

“The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house…So Abram went, as the Lord had told him…” – Genesis 12:1,4 What if I told you the call of Christ isn’t easy? What if I told you the call of Christ may require you to sacrifice important things such as your family, your friends, …

A Real Man

The birthday cake was cut and the coffee was brewing. We all sat encircling the two eldest women as though we were small children again. We listened intently as they relived stories from days long past: stories of childhood chores, bathing in a # 3 washtub, the festive day they got hot running water, and the youthful trouble in which …

When We Become Ruined

We drive through the streets of Croix des Bouquets and the scenery is not so different from what we see in America. People are on their way to work, children in uniforms are walking to school, busy hands have already begun their workday, and people stop to greet each other as they pass by. Everyone waves back at me and …

A Life Imbalanced

The band played and I closed my eyes and listened as the lyrics washed over my soul. Each Sunday finds us in this church auditorium, hands raised, hearts aligned, and lives laid down. Then each Monday finds us jumping back into the race of life and to-do lists. It’s been too long since I’ve last written. Busy only allows for …