My parents were extraordinary, brilliant, loving, and wise people—but they had some issues and were very self-consumed. This left me with an early void of healthy leadership that had real ramifications. At different times in my life, I have somewhat compulsively sought the counsel (or validation) of others—friends, mentors, bosses, sponsors, pastors. God says it’s wise to seek godly counsel and foolish to seek the counsel of scoffers, the proud, the wicked, the self-wise, or

My 19-year-old college freshman just went back to school after a luxurious, lingering month at home. There wasn’t much prep involved. With a little teamwork, the whirlwind of chaos that was his room was packed up and gone in a few short hours. When he first arrived a month ago, my mostly orderly small house was suddenly overrun with ginormous mounds of laundry and everything that had once fit neatly into a dorm room. His younger brother was thrilled to have him home—big-broth

Jesus said: “…Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 (NLT) What I absolutely love about this verse is “making” is present tense, ongoing action. Many of us, particularly in recovery, have experienced new life, and with Christ, this new life is an ongoing promise. In Him, we can experience newness of life over and over, mini-resurrections and renewals on the way to a new earth.

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 (NLT) There’s a variant in recovery circles covered in the book, “the truth will set you free, but first it will $:@$* you off.” Honest awareness is hard… but it’s the first step to freedom. It gives us room to choose. We want to be open to God‘s leading here, which may look different than we expect (see my recent post on Jesus’ Relational Realities from Matthew 10.) We may need to set better boundaries,

During the holiday season, many people wrestle with complicated feelings about relationships—absent, distant, antagonistic, or otherwise. Often, expectations (which we know can be a problem) simply don’t match reality. As always, Jesus helps. Sometimes His help comes in unexpected ways. Matthew 10 may not be very Christmassy, but it contains some of Jesus' clearest words on relationships I’ve returned to and shared again and again. Challenging our understanding of Christian l

Dig Deeper: “For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.” — Mark 4:22 (NLT) Jesus never exposes anything to shame us. He brings things into the light so He can heal them.

(+How to escape the game for good.) I’m no chess master, but I know the basics. Most people don’t realize that pawns aren’t just tiny pieces on a board. They’re: • the most abundant • the least valued • the first to take the hits • the most easily sacrificed • and the ones used to protect the power behind them They’re the frontline for a reason. Pawns absorb damage so the “king” or “queen” never risks himself and can advance. In most games, a pawn is sacrificed long before an

It’s pretty hard to be thankful for all circumstances. Should we be thankful for a broken marriage, a broken leg, a broken heart? Paul isn’t asking that of us. He’s inviting us to be thankful in all circumstances—not for them. For many years, I exchanged a daily gratitude list with a few women. We were writing to God and to ourselves more than to each other, but sharing our lists kept us connected. In the beginning, I had to work to come up with even a few things. Later, I of

Something has been shifting, and I want to speak plainly about it. Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t shared Sage Sayings content in a while. It’s not because I’ve been quiet—if anything, God has had me writing more than ever. When He puts something on my heart, it pours out. There’s never a strategy behind it. It’s always Spirit-led obedience. When I first published Sage Sayings & Slogans in the spring, I created a separate page out of sensitivity to the principle o

Dear friends, I’m so grateful to share something with you that has been stirring in me for a very long time. I'm thrilled introduce Waterworks , my newest book. Though one of these stories was published in a juried literary anthology twenty years ago, I’ve quietly carried most of this manuscript through many seasons—adding, refining, waiting. I was simply not released to publish it until now. God’s timing is always perfect, even when His formation takes decades. Twenty-five y

This is just another variant of familiar encouragement along the same lines: “Be still and know that I am God…” “And those who wait on the Lord…” “Fear not, stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord…” They’re everywhere—on mugs, plaques, bumper stickers, and journals. We hear them, see them, read them… a lot. But do we do it? Do we actually sit still and wait? And even if we do, do we do it the way God invites us to—calm, confident, trusting? Oh, boy. I'm reading Psalm

Heavenly Father, In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I come before You in humility and authority—not my own, but the authority granted through the blood of the Lamb and the word of Your testimony. Lord, You said, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) I know I've posted these videos before, but I just like them. ;-) Today, I stand on that promise. I lift b

My two sons are wonderful boys and I must say that by the grace of God and my overcompensating CPTSD parenting, I have not had much trouble with them. Even so, they are human (sinners) and there have been pesky behaviors that have required progressive discipline. For instance, Isaac went through a short spell in middle school when the testosterone started flowing and he was kind of handsy and a bit aggressive, though often accompanied by an easy, good natured smile. Exasperat

“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

✨ TOOLS & INSIGHTS: The Four Absolutes ✨ The Four Absolutes—Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, Love—give us a simple way to hold our lives up to the light of Christ. Don’t get stuck on the word absolute. This isn’t about perfectionism or nit-picking every tiny mistake. It’s about clarity and repentance: bringing our motives, desires, and choices into the open before God so His Spirit can transform us. Sometimes we get hung up on this sin or that. Sometimes we catalog every small

✨ Days of Awe 8 of 10: Drunkenness ✨ “You must not associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.” 1 Corinthians 5:11 (NLT) At first glance, Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 5 about drunkenness can seem random and harsh. After all, what’s so bad about “a good buzz”? But Paul is stern: a chronically drunken person should be removed

✨ 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

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: I have a backlog of Sage Sayings-related Facebook posts— too many to share here but for a start, here is a digest of last...