Hope Bursting Forth

Doctor Your Soul and Watch Others Grow

There are various factors that make up a great leader: personality, skills, and gifts to name a few. Various leadership assessments are abundantly available to help us understand how God created us. Awareness of these is good, but have you considered a soul assessment?

If you want to be an effective leader for the God’s Kingdom, you”ll have to evaluate your soul too. This is a scary thought to…

A puzzle comes with the all the pieces needed to make a whole picture. Without all the pieces, it’s incomplete.  A writer needs an intro that invites the reader into their world, a plot twist to keep them engaged and a hope-filled ending to complete a novel. Man needs a woman to reproduce. Everything needs something to be complete and fulfill their God-given purpose.  It’s God’s blueprint for…

Our focus shapes our reality.  We can choose to focus on God and all He has to offer or this world and all it has to offer.

When Moses got delayed on the mountain talking with God, the Israelites got fearful and said to Aaron, “We don’t know what has happened to thisMoses who led us out of Egypt. Make gods who will lead us.” Aaron chose to cave in to the people’s demand, and they created a…

“May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 GW

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Glistening white lights fill our homes and line our streets. Parties and shopping fill our calenders. Christmas is the season of hope– the hope of presents under the tree, family coming…

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:18

Health issues. Finances. Relationships. School or work deadlines. These are just some of life’s hurdles that cause our blood pressure to rise and our hearts to race.

I’m involved in a ministry that reveals truth to people’s hearts, freeing them to live life abundantly.  When I invite my Christian friends to our foundations of freedom classes, I often hear things like, “Thank you, but I’m…

  Quiet chatter filled the church. Warm red light streamed down from the stained-glass windows on to the trail of pink rose petals. The organ pipes began to bellow announcing the bride. White waves of fabric rolled down the red carpet and abruptly halted just short of the altar.  This was the day she’d been waiting for—her dream come true. Yet, something briefly hindered her from moving forward.

The Deep is calling your name. I’m not talking about the 1977 underwater adventure film. Rather, I’m talking about an underwater spiritual adventure with God. He’s calling His children to swim out into deeper waters. He’ll meet you there and show you mysterious and beautiful treasures you haven’t seen before. But you’ll have to leave the comfortable, shallow water and tread out. Further. Deeper.…

“Shelley Renee!”  My mother would say about three octaves higher than normal. This familiar sound often sent me into a tailspin.  What did I do now? I knew this spelled trouble. “Shame on you! You should know better. Don’t smack at the table. Sit up straight. Share with your sister. ”

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t do anything right? Like you wanted to run and hide?

That’s how shame affects…

Living on the Edge

Skydiving, rollercoasters, motorcycle and car races all provide addicting adrenalin rushes. As soon as we finish, we’re ready for more. There’s something about taking risks that scares and excites us at the same time.

In the movie Rebel without a Cause, Jim, portrayed by James Dean, is challenged by his rival to a chickie run. Torn between Preservation and self-honor, he accepts.

 Coincidentall…

Be Careful Little Mouth

“At any given moment you have the power to say: this is not how the story is going to end.” -Anonymous

There’s something you might not know about me. I was once a great detective and Nancy Drew was my sidekick. We explored endless intriguing sites together such as a hidden staircase that led to a dusty old attic. On occasion, we hung out with a couple of mischievous brothers known as The Hardy…

Time turned backward one hour this week. Things around us appear lifeless. Bark hangs bare against grey skies while turning leaves fall on withering grass. Today the clouds have made the sun obsolete.   Rain drops dampen not only the air but also my spirit. Write. Study. Clean. Do laundry. The warmth and comfort of my home calls out to me, stay home. And of course, I’m inclined to obey.

For…