Abiding in The Vine makes it a lot easier to bear my inadequacies and to bear fruit…in abject, grateful dependence on Him alone. Thank you, Jesus, for grafting me in. ✨🤍🍇🕊️

I’ve shared that I started reading Psalms 27, 37, and 40 several months ago during a challenging dry spell. If you’re struggling, Google a psalm that fits and try declaring it aloud with zeal—and see what happens! It works. There’s something powerful about rereading Scripture. God will often highlight a passage and reveal something spectacular in it. Our part? To seek Him. He wants to be found. He delights when we dig deep and mine for spiritual treasure. Such was the case wi

How gracious of God to leave us stories that show who He is and how He operates—in spite of us. Scripture gives us instructive, encouraging, and even warning stories about Bible “heroes” who are a hot mess—jars of clay through which God’s mighty power is displayed. Have you ever wailed something like, “If you love me, God, why is this happening?!” Gideon had every reason to be discouraged when the angel of the Lord appeared, urging him to battle the invading forces. After all

I remember so clearly, early in my spiritual journey, when Jesus and I were doing a dance of negotiation. I was so worried about what He might ask me to give up. What would I have to surrender if I gave my life to Him? I sensed deeply that’s what He wanted—my whole life. It seemed like a very high-stakes gamble, but the pull was undeniable. His love would not let me go. That was twenty-five years ago, and I have spent a lot of time holding tightly to people, places, and thing

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) The enemy wants to separate you. Jesus wants to draw you near. Knock down any barrier. Get closer. The enemy whispers that your sin is too great, that you cannot go back. That’s a lie from the pit of hell. Jesus always wants you back. Here is the truly remarkable reality of our Savior: He is the Author of new beginnings. He makes all things new. He restores lost time in ways that defy imagination. I know this becau

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25, ESV) Brothers and sisters, please—let’s heed what God is saying here. There’s no way to make light of this. No Isabella wit to take the edge off. Forms of Falsehood Slander and reviling both appear on Paul’s short list of sins that warrant removal from Christian fellowship. And Jesus condemns hypocrisy and false teaching not only i

✨ Days of Awe TOOLS & INSIGHTS: Shame ✨ When the Pharisees dragged a woman caught in adultery before Jesus (John 8:3–11), they were ready to stone her. In truth, they were projecting their own sin and hiding behind false righteousness. Jesus turned the tables: “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” Convicted, they slipped away, ashamed. To the woman, He offered both mercy and a charge: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” That’s the tension we al

During these Days of Awe, as we self-reflect and repent of what God shows us (Steps 4–10), praying David’s Psalm 51 can help. Try praying it daily—or more. I love this prayer and the painfully instructive failings that inspired it. We want to learn from David’s experience and apply the wisdom he learned the hard way. David himself tells God, “Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you” (v. 13). There’s nothing more powerful than sharing our true stor

10 Days to Re/Turn Tonight at sunset marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe—ten days of intensified reflection, repentance, and restitution leading up to Yom Kippur (October 1). These days were observed by Jesus, the early believers, and many faithful still today. Regardless, it’s always a good time for a holy housecleaning. " No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harves

Author Note: Here are the first four in a series of weekly Facebook posts on the topic of repentance, aka, Steps 4-10, started a month...

I love how God sometimes answers prayers on a dime—in unexpected places like San Frediano's medieval basilica in Lucca, home to the tower...

A key stop on the Via Francigena—an ancient travel and pilgrimage route to Rome—Lucca is known as the city of 100 churches. Its many...

🇺🇸 Happy 4th, wonderful people! 🇺🇸 I seldom post political content, since I consider myself apolitical—because Jesus was apolitical....

Light changes everything. St. Paul's Cathedral One of the unexpected highlights of our Italy trip happened on the way home—during an...

Pierce and I made a quick stop in Florence, where we beheld the stunning Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore , Giotto’s tower , and the...