Sipping coffee one morning at our church network’s family camp, I caught up with a younger acquaintance to whom I’d given a prophetic word fourteen years previously. She told me about the profound impact of the incident. When Shyla began leading worship, her church only released women to minister to a degree. She struggled to overcome lies which attacked her mind before and after leading worship, sensing an invisible restriction while young men around her were placed into more prominent positions. She wondered, Is there something wrong with me? Something I should do Continue Reading
Why Some Soul Wounds Require Understanding the Mother Heart of God
Going through my journals recently, I ran across an entry from February 2020. I was scheduled for a total hip replacement surgery, quite nervous about how the whole process. Sometimes I let the Lord speak to me through my pen. The deeply comforting words I found myself writing were these: "Let Me mother you in this situation." When we see God only as a father, not as a mother, we are left feeling like spiritual orphans bereft of the nurturing comfort and support provided by a mother. Read my article on this here - and may you experience the entirety of God's love for Continue Reading
Why I long to see gender equality in the Church
It was a simple enough assignment—reflect on the last eight weeks of class and share how I’ve grown spiritually by studying Luke-Acts. Little did I know I’d need a box of tissues at the ready. After discussing what I learned from the three texts we had read, I began to articulate something that touched me deeply. Permit me to share a portion of my recent spiritual formation essay: "One thing that was emphasized in this class is Jesus’ intentional and constant outreach to the oppressed and excluded, particularly women. Addressing this topic has a two-fold effect on Continue Reading
How joy and celebration reveal what is sacred about human life
It’s been a perfect August vacation afternoon. The smoke and rain have cleared enough for my husband and I to enjoy a lakeside hike in Grand Teton National Park. The mountains’ jagged grey peaks jut high into the sky, ribbons of snow still clinging along north-facing crevices. A family of Canadian geese glide on jade-colored waters which mirror the mountains. A white-footed hare forages near the trail. It’s quiet. My soul drinks in the scene the way a thirsting desert wanderer gulps fresh water. Such beauty. Such magnificence. We’re still marveling at what we’ve seen as we make Continue Reading