Purposeful Prayer & More

Left behind! When I think of those two words I consider feelings of abandonment, loneliness, despair, isolation, unworthiness, rejection, and frustration. No one wants to be left behind. Jarett did not choose to be left behind while his family returned home. It was a matter of...

I was born on February 26, 2007. Two years later, our family moved to Lancaster, Ohio, where my dad became a bi-vocational pastor. We lived in an apartment for a while, then a rented house on...

Jesus is ready to come. He's just waiting for His people to be ready, so He can pour out the "Latter Rain" and the final work can be completed. How can we be ready to receive the "Latter Rain"? Here are three important steps...

Surrendering is very important for a Christian. Our family has practiced surrendering, but sometimes it is hard! I try to listen to God in the mornings, and sometimes I don’t like what He says. I try to let God take the driver’s seat, even if it’s against...

The yearly Day of Atonement in the earthly sanctuary was symbolic of the heavenly Day of Atonement, when our Great High Priest Jesus Christ will cleanse the heavenly sanctuary once and for all, removing all the sins we have transferred there since the fall of humanity. All the confessed sins in heaven will be placed on...

We know the drill. Children and adults alike choose their favorite costume and go door to door collecting gobs of candy. For one night they indulge in the creepy ambiance of haunted houses and ghost stories. Too many people, it seems like harmless fun. But what is really being celebrated here? Should we, as Christians, really be participating in this holiday? Halloween is an ancient...

I remember in my early 20s having the same problem of believing lies. I was convinced that I was unattractive, undesirable, and intellectually incapable, among other insecurities. On top of that were my own battles with personal sins that I could not gain victory over. Then one day my girlfriend invited me to...

Things were looking good. My coaches, who were already well-established in the ballet world, knew my goal was to enter into a program after high school that would lead to me becoming a professional ballerina in...

When we develop our attention to rejoicing, we get stronger, and the stronger we are, the easier it is for God to...

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it when my plans are hijacked by someone else. A week in advance, my husband Miguel and I made plans to go garden and grocery shopping on a Thursday evening. In contrast, my oldest daughter, Dionne, had...

Why would you want to go on a personal retreat with God? To experience more of God. To review how God has provided for you in the past. To receive God’s perspective on your life’s roles. To discover more of God’s agenda for your life. Henry Blackaby, in Spiritual Leadership, states that we often make plans and then ask God to bless our plans. Seek God’s agenda first, and then...

“I’m praying that you move here.” Shocked, I asked the friendly stranger to repeat her words. I had retired just a few weeks prior, at least on paper, and my little schnauzer and I were on...