I’ve learned that when you try to control everything, you enjoy nothing. ~ Anonymous I like to think I have it all under control. I mean, you already know without even knowing me that I don’t. Girlfriend, I’m just gonna let you in on a little secret right now: no one has everything under control,…
Do I Belong?
Before You Go to Study Before your Group Gathering this week, take a few minutes to prepare your heart and mind using the prompts below. PREP Belonging is a big deal to us humans. To really be a part of something. To feel truly wanted and accepted. To be connected to others in meaningful…
Rhythms of Renewal OBS Week 3 — Restore
God invites us a wholeness that isn’t just mind, isn’t just body, and isn’t just spirit. But, it’s the culmination of all those things coming under submission to what God intends for us. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Restoration brings us back to life. ~ Rebekah Lyons I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest…
Names Reveal Value and Meaning
For years, I didn’t really know the significance of the name that had been chosen for me. Similarly, I’m afraid we have lost the significance of naming in our culture today. Many of us don’t appreciate the power inherent in names that confer meaning and value. That wasn’t true of those we meet in the…
Know Your Identity
Editor’s Note: Nineteen years ago, Gabe and Rebekah Lyons’s life took a dramatic turn when they learned that their newborn son, Cade, had Down syndrome. Remembering the day they received the diagnosis, Rebekah said that she collapsed. “Something died in me the day Cade was born — a controlled plan for my life,” Rebekah said. “But…
God’s Greatest Gift: The Christmas Child
After spending nearly two years investigating the identity of the Christmas Child, I was ready to reach a verdict. For me, the evidence was clear and compelling. Yes, Christmas is a holiday overlaid with all sorts of fanciful beliefs, from flying reindeer to Santa Claus sliding down chimneys. But I became convinced that if you…
The Power of Persistent, Spirit-Led Prayer
A note from the author: After another weekend of devastating mass shootings across America and the senseless loss of dozens of lives, our hearts go out to the victims’ families, and our minds ask “Why?” and “What can we do?” As for “Why?,” these things are happening because as more and more people reject God…
Praying When the Unexpected Disillusions and Hope Wanes
Hope Is an Act of Defiance I don’t know where your hope is struggling. Maybe your beleaguered hope is for… A loved one to be saved A child to come home A marriage to be restored Your body to be healed Your finances to be restored Your career to be revived A home of your…
Navigating Broken Relationships Supernaturally
Navigating Broken Relationships Supernaturally Chances are you can pinpoint some difficulty in your relational life. Maybe it’s a hurt from the past you can’t quite shake, the haunting memory of someone who never forgave you or whom you yourself have struggled to for- give. Maybe you have a friend or family member who routinely takes…
Man’s Windfall
As youngsters, we neighborhood kids would play street football. The minute we got home from school, we’d drop the books and hit the pavement. The kid across the street had a dad with a great arm and a strong addiction to football. As soon as he’d pull in the driveway from work we’d start yelling…