Knowing she was dying, Cherry’s Burmese mother brought her to our ministry home in Thailand about a year ago. Cherry transitioned easily, enrolled in school, started helping with our outreach and became a beloved part of our family. Quiet, slender and cute as a button, Cherry had experienced a very challenging life. In an email…

Rebellious kids are a problem in Laguna, so are parents who placate them from a young age, not taking them to church on Sundays and often investing more time and resources in their worldly pursuits, without balance in their spiritual development.  We would not think of starving our kids of food, but I am amazed…

It’s been awhile since I’ve driven through the desert but I did Sunday morning, heading for Centinela State Prison with Bill Devin. I’d forgotten how beautiful the desert can be, especially at sunrise. It feels like another world, the stillness very welcomed by me, such a stark contrast to the hectic environment I usually experience.…

How much I love this church and there’s no greater joy than watching all God is doing with our youth. What a blessed ministry under the careful guidance and leadership of Pastor Sam and his team of awesome leaders. Couldn’t stop smiling after watching this video. An unbelievably precious moment for each one baptized. “And…

But God, I Just Don’t Get It: Your house burns to the ground. You lose a child in a tragic accident. You’re stricken with a long lasting illness; you are unjustly accused. Someone you love breaks your heart. You become so discouraged with life you barely hang on. A recap of my message from Sunday for those…

In a hurry, she stepped awkwardly into the elevator and suddenly lost her balance, almost tumbling over. Before I could lend a hand, she quickly caught herself, grabbing tightly onto the inside rail. Elderly, overly tanned, wearing heavy perfume with thick red lipstick and high thin eye-brows, she looked decidedly distressed. “How are you”? I…

Breathtakingly Beautiful:(turn up the volume) I love imaginative and wonderfully crafted worship, something new, something creative and inspiring, different from what we so often hear. This worship expression is out-of-the-box, completely unique, fresh and fragrant and my spirit responded with joy to hear God extolled in such a beautiful way. It’s in true worship we…

How God Meets Us In Crisis: I recently purchased “The Praying Wife” book which was recommended because I was losing all hope of being able to keep our house of 17 years. The mortgage company that took over our loan 13 months ago said we couldn’t afford it, though we disagreed. They started foreclosing on our…

When I was a junior in high school I was cut from the basketball team for a fight during practice. I went up for a layup and George Pelletier slammed me into the gymnasium wall. I came up swinging. And the next thing I knew I was gone. “Not putting up with that kind of…

“We must wait for God, long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and lightning, in the cold and the dark. Wait, and he will come, He never comes to those who do not wait.”  – Frederick W. Faber I Get Letters: there was such an outpouring of gracious letters in response to…