Yokemates

Have you ever done one of those mini surveys that asked you to list in order what is the most important part of your life? The categories are typically something like this: Children, Work, Husband, Church, God, Friends. At first glance, it seems pretty simple. 1. God     (now guilt conscious because I didn’t get in the Word today) 2. Husband…or is it kids?    (probably depends on the day!) 3. Kids    (yes, that’s the better spot) 4. Work    (well, it takes more of my time than church) 5. Church    (no wonder I’ve not seen any of my friends lately) 6. Friends    (but then again, many of my friends are at church!) When doing the exercise with a group there are always different answers. Some individuals rate 1-6 based on what is pressing on their mind. Others number the way they think they should prioritize things. Still others choose to order their sequence in regard to how much time they spend with the person o...

They say hindsight is 20/20. If only we knew then - in marriage, in ministry, in relationships, in parenting, in career decisions - what we know now, we might have made different decisions, right? And yet, that's not our reality. We walk through life either in our own independence and self-reliance or within the Holy Spirit's guidance. We can't ride the fence, at least for very long - and never successfully. Without realizing it, we often live like we really can have it both ways. Independent in self, dependent on God. We have a choice each day, to either take our dreams and forge ahead or to take them before God and see what doors He opens. That is the hard part. Trusting on either end of the threshold. It takes courage and perseverance to actually walk through many of the doors God opens, even when we have longed for the opportunity. It takes strength, trust and surrendered dependence on our Savior to stop at the threshold and obey God's loving caution tape that w...

“The breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4a For many of us, the reality of the coronavirus of 2020 is no longer defined by a respiratory disease. Instead, COVID19 is focused on and defined by masks, social distancing and creative ways to connect and reopen our churches and places of business. Even for those in the medical field (in the USA), routines are returning to the way they once were – even if staff is still wearing face coverings of one type or another. This Sunday, our worship leader reminded our church family of the reality of the disease. It is still present. People are still dealing with this disease - even after months of treatment and care. Amazingly, not all have succumbed to death. Some have had the breath of life given back to them from the Almighty! Individuals who have been on vents way too long, according to medical standards, are learning how to swallow again. They are gaining strength. They no longer struggle to breathe. They are living miracles...