Have you bought your turkey yet? Are you ready to celebrate "Thanksgiving" with your family? Hmmm, for me that would be a definite "no"! (Well, I did pick up a bag of stuffing the other day, and my husband bought a turkey on sale. Does that count?)

Anyway, as we get ready to prepare our tables, let's use this month to prepare our hearts as well.....for whatever God wants to give us. You see, giving thanks is more than just a holiday - it's a state of mind that humbles us before God and others. Giving…

Happy February, friend!

How was your week? Have things been pretty smooth, or have you been praying for breakthrough in some area of your life? Well, for me it was a week to grow in faith which means I faced a challenge! I don’t know about you, but it is always easier for me to pray for others than it is for me to pray for myself. I think it’s because when we are the ones in the fire - facing pain, sickness, a financial or relational challenge - it’s easy for our emotions get involved.

When I…

I’m writing these words in mid-January, and I feel like I should be saying, “Happy New Year”, but somehow that greeting doesn’t feel quite right today! No matter where you live in this world, none of us were exempt from trials in 2020, and for some of us 2021 seems all the more uncertain!

Though there is a lot going on around us that we can’t control, a very long time ago, eleven men were in a similar place. They were trying to sort out the events of the past and had no idea what to expect in…

Dear Ones, 

Well, 2020 has certainly been an interesting year so far! How are you doing during this time of upheaval in the world? Between the Covid19 pandemic, political unrest, and now outrage over the untimely death of Georg Floyd, it certainly seems like the fabric of our society is being torn apart at the seams!  Without the Lord, we would certainly have reason to live in turmoil and fear right now. But the truth is, none of this is taking God by surprise. 

Remember back in January when we were all…

I just returned from a short trip to Tallahassee, Florida where I had a chance to speak and sing for some inmates in a Florida prison. Those who know me know that I have a soft heart for those who are living behind bars, not because I excuse whatever crimes they have committed but because they are human beings just like me. All of us have sinned, and we serve a merciful God who can forgive sin and give us a new life…regardless of what side of the bars we live on.

I’m never afraid of prisoners, and I love…

Well, the most wonderful - I mean the most frantic - time of the year is upon us...December! 

When I was a child, I LOVED December. There were Christmas parties, decorations, lights, music, the smell of evergreens and Christmas cookies baking, and the almost unbearable anticipation of waiting for Christmas morning.  In all these exciting childhood memories, however, the ones that stand out most are of the simple Christmas pageant at church and the beautiful candlelit Christmas Eve service. Even as a very…

This summer while most of us were celebrating warm, sunny weather and enjoying time with family, I was humming Christmas carols! I started working on some new Christmas music last spring, and producer Billy Smiley helped flesh out my ideas and hire the folks that could bring them to life. To learn more about the making of "For Unto Us" check out the stories and the songs here: foruntous 

There were many little miracles along the way which I will share over time. The most personal miracle was the renewing…

You know you have always wanted to go...well now is the time! Mark and I will be on the island ministering at Mackinac Island Bible Church with dear friends Pastor Ken and Lori Straight THIS WEEKEND. These folks are the real deal, and they are doing a phenomenal job of sharing the love of Christ with the tourists and workers on this beautiful island. Come join us for church at the Mission Point Resort on Sunday at 9:30 AM (Jean will be leading worship and speaking). You are also welcome to a more intimate…

I don’t know about you, but my concept of faith has been challenged lately. In the past couple of months, I have known people dealing with heart-crushing situations - death, suicide, cancer, natural disasters - you name it! Just this weekend, I met a lady who lost her husband and three children in a boating accident. I know another who lost his wife in a car crash, and two others who committed suicide. I have a friend who was sold as a child by her own father to sex traffickers, and last week, a dear friend…

I am not a 'morning person'. 

Never have been. My creative juices don't even think about getting started until after noon. But lately, the Lord has been teaching me that how I begin my day often determines how fruitful the Lord is in me in the hours that follow. 

Like it or not, let's just remember that we are in a spiritual battle! Every day, we have been given time to either exalt God or forget Him, to see His kingdom come and share His love or to be swept along in a current of lethargy, laziness, and…