This week while I was in the hospital, I felt impressed to ask one of my doctors if I could pray for them. They left the room for a few minutes and I prayed about this thought. "Lord, am I supposed to ask them this?" There was a sense of peace about this. When asked,…Read more Heartfelt Impressions: A Journey of Faith and Healing
Faith
A Personal Health Update—and a Word of Hope
Over the past several weeks, many friends have graciously asked about my health. Rather than trying to answer everyone individually, I wanted to share this brief video update. The doctors have confirmed that I am continuing to lose blood, but despite many tests, they have not yet been able to identify the source of the…Read more A Personal Health Update—and a Word of Hope
Berries, Communion, and Grace
I had just come home after my own stay at the University of Michigan Hospital. I had been there for seven days. Then, I went to see an elderly friend in comfort care. It struck me before I even sat down, how familiar this room felt. We had laughed, ate lunch, made pictures, and worshiped…Read more Berries, Communion, and Grace
Grace and Pain brings Opportunities
Psalm 30:2 — “O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” Last Friday morning, I awoke at 2:15 a.m. in intense pain and overwhelming nausea. I quietly slipped downstairs so I wouldn’t wake my family. For the next several hours, the pain would not ease, nor would the…Read more Grace and Pain brings Opportunities
Hospital Grace
Even in the middle of hospital rooms, procedures, and medical decisions, God continues to reveal His grace in quiet and unexpected ways. Admittedly, even in pain, I did not want to come back to the hospital. My wise wife called and they said, “Come now.” After triage and several “clicks” of morphine, I was grateful.…Read more Hospital Grace
Promises Define Us!
Promises My promises define who I am. I have made promises to my beautiful wife, Rebekah, to our family, to our church, and to our community. I make those promises because of the promise God has made to us—a promise He has faithfully kept. In Scripture, God calls His promises covenants. To illustrate the power and…Read more Promises Define Us!
Devoted to Prayer for the Middle East Tonight!
Before learning early this morning about the President’s military strike involving Iran, I had spent time meditating on this verse from Scripture: “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”—Colossians 4:2 It felt as though God had gently prepared my heart for the news of the day. Almost immediately, I sensed…Read more Devoted to Prayer for the Middle East Tonight!
The Grace of Being Present: A Pastor’s Reflection of Recovering from Cancer
Sunday morning, I slipped in as quietly as possible. I worshiped with our church family in person for the first time since my second surgery for colon cancer. About an hour before the service, I made the decision to go. Becky had been at church for nearly an hour already. She did not know I…Read more The Grace of Being Present: A Pastor’s Reflection of Recovering from Cancer
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Holocaust Remembrance Day "They had seen and smelled the death camps, and now they were able to realize that all along they had been ... fighting for something positive, the sacredness of life itself. ... After the camps, a moral attitude was rampant. ... The boys' explosive little tour in France had been a crusade…Read more Holocaust Remembrance Day
Mattering
Mattering—the title caught my eye. Yesterday I read a review of Jennifer Wallace’s new book. The author makes a point we emphasized many times at Woodland Church: every new person who walks in for morning worship, Elevation, or a small group is silently carrying two questions: Will you love me? Will you accept me? In…Read more Mattering