The Amazing and Totally Useless Power of “Thoughts and Prayers”

Ah yes, the universal panacea! The easy answer. The spiritual duct tape slapped on every crisis.Just close my eyes, whisper something vaguely hopeful, and watch the world magically fix itself. Poverty disappears. Crime vanishes. Corrupt leaders feel conviction. All from the safety of my recliner. I love the optics of compassion. Post it on social media—maybeContinueContinue reading “The Amazing and Totally Useless Power of “Thoughts and Prayers””

What If the Hard Part Isn’t Mine?

My Bible reading plan fell apart last year, somewhere around Solomon’s temple, because life got in the way and attention wandered. And that’s okay. What if the hard part of reading Scripture isn’t maintaining perfect consistency or mastering ancient languages? What if the transforming, sustaining, wisdom-building work isn’t mine to carry at all? What ifContinueContinue reading “What If the Hard Part Isn’t Mine?”

This is a Song for Someone

This is New Year’s Eve, a time to celebrate endings and beginnings, but my heart’s just not in it. Maybe yours isn’t either. If you’re one of them, or if someone close to you is, maybe this piece will land like a small reminder that the light is still there. I know a handful ofContinueContinue reading “This is a Song for Someone”

The Moment of Surrender: A Meditation

Sometimes at church, words, music, and the quiet stirrings of the heart converge at a single intersection. This particular Sunday, as the teaching on obedience and guidance unfolded, I felt it, the invisible thread pulling through the message, drawing me into a space both ordinary and sacred. The Crossroads of Reflection Let me be clearContinueContinue reading “The Moment of Surrender: A Meditation”

When Innocence Is Held Hostage, and Hope Finds A Way

A gentle note before reading: This story touches on hardship and hope. It is written with care and respect for children who have suffered, and with faith in the healing love of Christ. Lila’s story is a composite, drawn from real cases shared with me by an advocate working directly with trafficked children. Though sheContinueContinue reading “When Innocence Is Held Hostage, and Hope Finds A Way”