HOW LAME IS THAT? Christine Sullivan I’m dating myself, but I remember when young people were just starting to use the phrase “lame”, to describe something that was decidedly uncool. It’s kind of fun to examine how vernacular changes overtime, but let’s look at the original meaning of the word: Not able to walk without difficulty.  Many handicaps and injuries are easy to spot because of halting motion or the use of health aids like crutches, walkers, canes or wheelchairs, but other “lameness” is not always so obvious. We can be crippled by emotional or spiritual hindrances caused by ..read more

SHAME MONSTERS Dani Morelli I am no stranger to shame. In fact, I remember reading a book as a child that introduced me to shame in the form of foul, hovering creatures of darkness. Their appearance was amorphous and hidden by a tattered cloak, yet it was their diet that was truly evil. These creatures fed off of human happiness, only leaving feelings of despair and shame behind. In these books, their presence was described as suffocating and recognizable from a distance by the path of destruction in their wake. As the reader would discover, a creature composed of this kind of darkness co ..read more

PRAY FOR THE MONKEYS Holly Hall I am diagnosed with Attention Deficit Syndrom. This means I’m easily distracted, have trouble staying focused on a task, and occasionally find myself interrupting and/or reacting impulsively. One simple 30-minute task can turn into a pandemonium of thoughts diverting my attention away from the mission at hand. I’m grateful that this diagnosis does not define who I am; Jesus does! He has created me to lead, encourage, direct, connect with, and love His people. So in the midst of my real struggle with ADD, God has provided me with ways to help me through this ..read more

GRIEF LIKE A TIDAL WAVE Kelley Carrison For years, I believed that grief was something that  people feel when they’ve lost someone close to them.  As I’ve aged, however, I’ve learned that grief is not only  a part of life, but also it is rare that any of us escape it.  Grief can be the loss of a person, or anything else in  our lives. It can come from the loss of a dream, a hope, a relationship, the loss of our innocence, or from being  a victim of a crime.   I’m learning that there are just no rules to grief. Grief is organic by nature and affects ..read more

WIND AND FIRE - WEEK 6 Kile Baker Jesus did some pretty incredible work during His ministry on earth, so it’s a little hard to imagine that we will do “greater things” than what He did. I mean He’s God, how can we do things greater than God? We actually can’t, but it’s with Him and through Him that we do great works for the kingdom of God. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be with them to empower them to do the works that He did. So what kind of works will we be called to do in His name? Love. Regardless if someone deserves love or does not, we should still love them. Wh ..read more

JOIN A TEAM, BELONG TO A COMMUNITY Holly Hall My closest relationships, my continuing growth as a leader, and my dependency on Jesus Christ stem largely from the days, weeks, and years spent volunteering alongside other believers inside and outside the church. I am a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ, a better friend, wife, mom, and human because of joining teams in volunteering capacities. Serving (volunteering) is a necessary part of what God created us to do⎯it benefits God’s overall plan, and it will give you the opportunity to personally experience growth and community as it has ..read more

WIND AND FIRE - WEEK 4 Kile Baker What are the gifts of the Spirit? We all have different gifts, given for different purposes according to the will of God. Each gift is given to serve its purpose for the body of Christ. When we all put our gifts together it is for the glory of God and the growth of the church. Have you discovered what your spiritual gifts are? “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same ..read more

A CALL TO COMMUNITY Jess Grant Key Scripture: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” —Proverbs 27:17 Some Sunday mornings, it’s all I can do to get out the door and get to church on time. One such Sunday a couple of years ago, I skated in just as the 5-minute countdown started, whew! I was volunteering for the prayer team that day, so I set my stuff in the prayer area, looking around for someone I knew, when I noticed a woman around my age with a similar hairstyle sitting alone in the back of the church.  I am an outgoing person, but even I struggle when going ..read more