Staff Blog
Refuge
High, atop a mountain, a place of comfort, there. A beautiful blue sky, puffed clouds, crystal clear air. Aspen leaves fluttering, a mountainside of red, I hear a rushing stream, grass and leaves for a bed. Away from grizzly bears, far from timber crashes, Away from hellish winds, far from lightning flashes. My place…
Connecting
Magnets connect each time, Easy as when words rhyme. But people connecting? Difficult effecting! Detecting. Objecting? Respecting. Reflecting? Directing. Correcting? Expecting. Injecting? Disheartening, And heartbreaking, Demoralizing, And frustrating, Disappointing And sobering. Learning, humbling, Praying, stumbling. Enjoying. Stumbling. Delighting. Fumbling. Giving. Bumbling. Grateful. Humbling.
Psalm 139
I am in the process of memorizing Psalm 139 and am amazed at how much deeper these words go when we really meditate on them instead of just reading them. How can we ever feel alone when we have this personal, intimate love letter from the Creator of the universe. For the director of music.…
VBS Rainforest Falls 2026
Our favorite week of the summer is coming! Step through the mist into Rainforest Falls, overflowing with wild waterfalls, towering trees, and colorful creatures. Beneath a canopy of chattering birds and howling monkeys, kids plunge into a lifelong adventure of discovering the nature of God. They’ll explore what it means to be rooted in relationship…
THE THREE HARDEST WORDS TO SAY
Three words you rarely hear? You may never have heard? … Not from politicians, and not from “journalists,” Not drivers in their cars, and not from the “critics.” Not from all-star athletes nor from “celebrities,” Not colleagues at your work, nor from your families. … Parents expect their kids to utter these three words. Everyone…
A CERTAIN KIND OF COMMUNITY
“Who needs the church?” we think. “It’s me and Jesus now.” “My faith’s something private. Them? Holier than thou.” “Too many hypocrites!” (“Oh, I’m not one,” I moan.) “I’ll go when I want to. I’ll do this on my own.” Privacy reigns supreme in western culture, now. “To be isolated? It’s much ‘simpler’ and…
Sonrise!!
Into the cold dark room he walked, Eerie. Quiet. The silence stalked. Musty dank smells, ground, and wet rock, Covered with grief, and still in shock. Eyes, filled with tears, so bleary-eyed. ‘Twas up all night, his dear friend died. To pay respects, sat down in grief, His joy now gone, death was the…
Holy Week
It is tempting to skip straight from the palm branches of Sunday to the Hallelujahs of Easter, bypassing the discomfort of the days between. But when we rush to the empty tomb, we risk missing the profound weight of the love that got us there. Holy Week invites us to resist the urge to hurry.…
Oh, Conscience!
What mayhem we will see when conscience is broken, “Do ‘right’ in your own eyes.” This mantra, now spoken. No restraining presence, like no brakes on a car, Plummeting down the hill, “It’s a thrill ride for all”??? A broken conscience, bad, but another step worse, When conscience becomes blind, we’ll live under that…