Martha’s dad, Ted Hains, was a professional photographer for 40+ years. Early in his career, he was discipled by someone from Christian Business Men’s Connection to understand that his work mattered to God. And Ted took it to heart. As a result, his career was filled with incredible stories of God’s faithful provision and work amid Ted’s … Continued
Normal and routine. Two words we are so comfortable with, we cuddle up with them every day. As long as things are regular and predictable and our routine isn’t disrupted, we are GOOD TO GO! But what happens when God interrupts our normal routine and sends us off in a direction we weren’t expecting? Do … Continued
I often say, “You limit what you control”. There are limitations pastors unknowingly set for their church. It’s often a matter of control, yet I believe most of the time we do it without realizing they are. Many of these are natural occurrences from doing things a certain way over time. Yet, when these are … Continued
Most of us have heard the saying, “youth is wasted on the young”. I don’t know if I agree completely with that statement, but I do have a few regrets that have helped me learn how to deal with aging. Aging has helped me with one of my regrets; focusing on the superficial. I had … Continued
There isn’t a single person in the United States of America who doesn’t have a possession that goes unused for a year. Every one of us has extra STUFF. Martha and I made a rule when we got married 35 years ago that if anything went unused in our home over the period of a … Continued
When you lose a friend it feels unnatural and painful. So, why do we have to lose friends? I wish I didn’t have to answer that question and instead could say, “you don’t have to lose friends, ever”. But that is not the way it is, everyone has lost or will lose a friend. Despite … Continued
I have lived with fear most of my life. Even as a young girl, I nursed fears and illogical outcomes on a daily basis. Overcoming the spirit of fear always seemed like a good idea but living free from fear felt unattainable. Fear was my constant companion. -Going to sleep meant overcoming the spirit of … Continued
Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts. — Hebrews 3:17 God brought a series of 10 plagues upon ancient Egypt and the pharaoh, each gaining in intensity as Pharaoh’s heart got harder. And the Bible says multiple times that Pharaoh hardened his heart. But then we read in Exodus 10:1, “Now the … Continued
