enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

In Case of Emergency

The three numbers rolled off their tongues like water off a duck's back. "9-1-1," my kiddos chorused together after being asked what number to call if something happened to me while we were out on our morning walk. Of course my goal isn't to scare them or talk doom and gloom, but to prepare them for what to do just in case. Family emergency preparedness speeches-- you know how they go. At strategic (and even random) times they hear little safety tidbits like "Don't talk to strangers,"  "If you are lost look for…," "If someone tries to…," "Stop, drop, and roll," and so on. Now that the kids ... Read the Post

The Secret Hiding Place

When the bank is overdrawn and bills pile up… When kids are sick and doctors’ visits are out of the question… When relationships fall apart and bring heartache… …know where I run to hide when all these trials and hurts enter my life with a vengeance? As a child running to the security of its father’s lap, I run right into the shelter of God’s presence, His secret hiding place. David knew this hiding place so well and wrote of it many times. In the Psalms, he said to God, “Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,” (Ps. 17:8 NKJV). “I shall live forever in Your tabernacle; oh, to be safe ... Read the Post

Killer Kudzu

“Is that a vine?” My older son inquired. We were in our backyard on a muggy summer evening. Our two boys were jumping on the trampoline and I had just tugged another handful of unwelcome weeds from the yard when I heard Cole’s question. I knew the exact plant he was asking about. It reached like long green arms through the top of the medium-sized oak trees behind our home. I had recently noticed that particular vine invader all over the place - not just in our backyard - its relentless green fingers growing through the tops of the trees, peeking above even the tallest of the tall. If ... Read the Post

Missions at 16!

To be called to the mission field is such a blessing even at the young age of 16. I learned so much about Christ and who He is because of the amazing opportunities He had put before me. But this isn't about me; it's about what God has done through me, and that is a story that still amazes me daily. When I was 16 years old, my family was called to the mission field, and by my family I don't mean me. At the age of 16, I thought I knew it all, and I rebelled quite furiously against my parents' decision to move my family to Mombasa, Kenya. After hardening my heart for so long, I realized that God ... Read the Post

Our No Sock Culture

During a recent shopping outing, I found myself looking for a good pair of socks. We all know that good footwear is complemented with good socks – or is it? I flipped through several pages of one of my wife’s outdoor wear catalogs. I noticed that absolutely no one in the catalog was wearing socks! The latest high tech sports shoes shown on sock-less feet! When did that happen? Was there an announcement made urging people to not wear socks? I went to the gym and noticed mostly all the Gen Xer’s did not wear any socks while we Baby Boomers still wore socks. That is how our culture ... Read the Post