Miracle in the Pain

 

Katy has loved music all her life.  She was born with a rare disease called congenital scoliosis.   The disease resulted in severe back pain, and her doctor recommended surgery which involved inserting metal rods into her back.  Regrettably, the surgery did not heal the pain; it seemed to intensify it.  Just before turning 17, the pain was so bad that Katy considered killing herself.  God intervened and revealed that He had something more for her.  She was given the choice to keep the rods in her back or have them removed, and she elected to remove them.   While all of the pain was not totally removed, the cloud of despair hanging over her was, and she gave the credit for that to God.  God also revealed His purpose for her.  Katy decided to use her love for music for the glory of God, and she began leading worship at her church.  She also began writing songs with a mentor.  One of those songs, "In Jesus Name" won the worship song of the year in 2022, and Katy Nichole was named best new Christian artist at the Dove Awards in 2023.   Praise God for the gift that He has given her and for her obedience to use that gift for  His glory.  Click here for her performance of that song and click here to see an interview with her telling her story in her own words.

Church Hunters

 

I post a lot about the small group from church that meets at our house on Wednesday nights.  This is one of my favorite times of the week because we get to have a meal and discuss things that are important with like-minded people.  It's kind of like a church within a church.  But our big church, The Vine, is also important to us.  The Bible encourages us to join together with fellow believers to worship and learn.  The Vine gives us this opportunity, and we try to be there every Sunday.  If you don't have a church home, I would encourage you to seek out a church that offers both corporate worship with the whole body and smaller groups that allow for deeper relationships to be formed.   But if you are looking for a strategy to find a new church, DO NOT follow the lead of this young couple.  One of my goals for this year is to have more fun.  I hope you have fun with this one.  I know I did. 

Faith Proclaimed

 

John Crawford is one of my closest friends, my financial representative and my wife's boss.  He has four sons which are each amazing in their own way.  One of his sons, Josh, works at Passion Church.   Three years ago he was leading the students there and his message was recorded and posted at YouTube.   Last year, I was blessed to hear Josh speak at his nephew, Nathaniel's funeral.  Nathaniel was able to meet his family, but only lived a few hours after birth due to a developmental condition.  Josh showed an unbelievable amount of empathy and love for his nephew and his family.   But he also expressed complete confidence in God's plan for him and the impact that he had on the world in the short time he was here.  I know Josh is having a huge impact on the students in his church, and I can't wait to see his impact on the world.  Join me in praying for Josh and his ministry.

Well Done

 

Women have been fighting for fair treatment since the beginning of time.  Some would say that we have made some progress and others would say the problem is worse than ever.  Christians should be the ones leading the charge, but regrettably, there are plenty of us who have either offended women or not taken a strong enough stand for them.  Shining a light on our shortcomings cannot dim what Jesus did.  On a hot day, Jesus sat by a well as a woman approached and asked her for a drink.  She was surprised because she was a Samaritan - and she was a woman.  Jewish men would not typically start conversations with either.  Also, Jesus knew that she had been married 5 times and was currently living with a man she was not married to.  None of this would keep Jesus from talking to her with the goal of helping her, not condemning her.  Dear God, please help me to be more like Jesus today.

Click here for a short video illustrating the story.