Replacing horizontal expectations with a vertical hope, Part 1

I recently chatted with a dear friend who is about to move overseas to do mission work full-time. As part of the training she undergoes beforehand, she takes an inventory of her expectations in practically every area. Just hearing about it overwhelmed me, so I cannot imagine what she is feeling about having to do …

Pursuing Rhythms of Remembrance leads to Self-Denial and Deeper Dependence on God

I started this blog series with a focus on how we need these rhythms of returning to Jesus' feet for renewal. But let's take that one step further. We also need these rhythms to help us remember. Remember when we walked through Mark 6? Well only a few short chapters later, in Mark 8, we …

The art of remembrance in our family traditions of Easter

โ€œJesus stole my marshmallow!โ€ The indignant eyes of my almost three-year-old glared at me in disbelief as we examined his first resurrection bunโ€”the classic crescent-wrapped marshmallow that disappears after baking and symbolizes an โ€œempty tomb.โ€  Previous visions of theological discussions to help my child understand substitutionary atonement were instead dashed and replaced with the ideology …