I was talking with our small groups pastor (Jay) a few days ago and he said something that stuck with me. I won't reveal what we were talking about, because I don't want him to get a bunch of emails from you about why he's right or wrong. I'll just give you the part that stuck: "I haven't...

There are some things every child should be able to count on. A place to feel safe. Someone who knows where they are at the end of the day. A family who celebrates the good days and stays close through the hard ones. A place to belong. In other words, every child needs OneHome. That simple...

I don't know if you've considered this story in the book of Matthew but of all the miracles in the gospels, there's one that seems almost like a bit of showmanship to wow the fans. In Matthew 17:24-27. A tax is due. Matthew, being a tax collector, noted a tax situation. Peter is asked...

August has a way of speeding everything back up. Vacations wind down. School emails start multiplying. Practices, meetings, homework, and packed lunches loom. The family calendar that had a little breathing room suddenly can’t be read from the...

Last Spring, during the end of her semester at college, my daughter, Layla, called her mom and me up one day and exclaimed, “I have found a dog that I really want and I promise to take care of it. You guys will just have to watch him for a few weeks before I get home from college.&rdquo...

"Oh, shoot! I missed it." The opportunity was right there, but I wasn't paying attention. God had arranged the moment, but I didn't see what He was doing. Even worse, He had already given me the tools I needed and taught me the heart behind using them well. But because my eyes weren't open, I...

Luke 9:59… Jesus said, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Say what!!?? In the gospel accounts Jesus said some things that...

A couple of songs from the album Best of Fernando Ortega, Live in St. Paul are among my most-listened-to over the past few years. I listen on Spotify and sort of cherry-pick the ones I like, so I don’t really know the rest of the songs that well.  This month, I’ve played the...

Two-year-old Ben tore down our street, cackling wildly. His mother, less pleased with her son's freedom, ambled behind him calling, "Ben, stop!" As her repeated and ineffective cries of "Ben, stop!" crescendoed, her walking speed did not. My husband realized mom wasn't going to catch Ben and...

Growing up, there were no leftovers. Tupperware to hold food until the next day just wasn't really a thing in our house. Maybe it was because I had ten brothers and sisters. Maybe it was because my dad was a mechanic, and we simply didn't have an abundance. Or maybe it was because my parents...