Turn Your Eyes to the Calvary Road When everything inside you longs for greatness, think of the Calvary road. Walk next to your savior as he sets out under the weight of the cross, bruised and beaten, heading to a hill on which he will die. Listen to the mocking crowds exclaim, “Crucify him,” (John 19:15) as he stumbles along the dusty road. Read the sign that states, “King of the Jews” (John 19:19). Yet notice there is no sign of royalty in this place. With tears in your eyes, you stare upon the bloodstained face of your Savior, and you drop to your knees in awe of him. Broken and worn, he keeps walking toward the hill, eyes fixed on his final, greatest act. Read More
Still Inspiring Hope: Reflecting on the Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.
God has two outstretched arms. One is strong enough to surround us with justice, and one is gentle enough to embrace us with grace. –Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart” When I read the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, my soul ignites with the hope of Jesus Christ. I feel a connection to King as a brother in the faith, and I wonder what it would be like to sit with him, talking about his life, faith, and how he lived out God’s call on his life in his generation. I can envision King’s smile and the kindness in his eyes, along with the fiery passion in his spirit, and it makes me yearn for such an encounter. Maybe one Read More
7 Unconventional Ways to De-Stress This Holiday Season
Is the holiday season stealing your joy and stressing you out? Is supercharged gift buying and cookie baking making you crazy? Then take a few minutes to check out these unconventional ways to reconnect with the true joy of the season! 1. Kick an Amazon box across your porch. When I have spent one too many nights furiously scrolling for perfect Christmas gifts on Amazon, I know it’s time to take back control. And what better way to do that than take a swift kick at materialism! So, when I know my neighbors aren’t watching, I set my sights on one of the many Amazon boxes on my porch, get a running start, and then punt it like a football. (I even laugh a little Read More
A Spiritual Harvest
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9:37-38 A Farm Girl’s View of the Harvest Growing up as a farm girl in the Midwest, I was surrounded by the beauty of cornfields and the ever-changing landscape of those fields. Each season brought something new. But by far, my favorite time was harvest. As my father’s combine went rumbling through the fields, my heart would leap with excitement, and I couldn’t wait until he brought in the first load of grain. An entire year of hard work, sweat, and tears all led up to this one moment. What would the harvest bring? Laws of the Harvest At Read More
Jesus: The Cure for Our Condition
Calvary – The Easter Story from Calvary Church on Vimeo. Reckless abandon. A love that knows no bounds. From the robes of royalty to the clothes of a carpenter. Jesus Christ set his feet upon the sin-soaked soil of this earth. The exact representation of God met the depravity of man. A miracle from heaven, Sent to save us From an infection that no one else could cure. Sin. It’s the stranglehold of our own selfishness, The essence of our rebellion. Infecting us, Leaving us ravaged and alone. Ashamed. Isolated. Desperate. Longing for mercy. Praying for grace. In the ruins of our sin, we sit alone. Filled with fear. Gripped by our own helplessness, By our incurable condition, In a pit of darkness. Read More