“Wow, we’ve got George Barna to ourselves for an hour! Finally we’ll find out what’s wrong with the church. This is the guy with all the research. This is the guy everybody quotes. ‘Barna says this,’ and ‘Barna says that.’ Finally everyone will find out I’ve been right all along.

“Instead we heard about brokenness for an hour.”

I have been quoting Barna since the late 1980s so I relate to that statement so much. Incidently I also relate a lot to the topic George Barna chose to talk about—brokenness. My offering for you today is for you to take time to reflect on your brokenness as you read this: Continue reading →

I completely agree with this statement and want to broadcast that here.

From an interview with Jen Hatmaker, a Woman of Faith speaker, author, and blogger, and whose family will be in this summer’s HGTV show, Family Under Construction. She was asked her opinion on what excites her most about the church at large:

“I am almost embarrassingly optimistic about the generation coming up in Christ. I find them to be incredibly brave, more resourced than probably any generation ever, educated, smart, passionate about the Word, and fairly fearless. When I think about my friends and myself when we were in our early 20s, we were clamping down pretty hard on safety, security, and comfort. What I’m seeing in the next generation is an abandon to follow Jesus, even as numbers are shrinking in American churches.”  Source.

Some people are unhappy with, or perhaps unsure of, their placement in one of the four Houses at Hogwarts: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff. Because the Sorting Hat doesn’t actually exist (sadly), the next best option is taking the quiz on Pottermore.
The thing is, there’s quite a bit of overlap between the four Houses. Gryffindor is known for chivalry and bravery; Hufflepuff is known for loyalty and kindness. There’s some obvious overlap right there. Not everyone who’s intelligent and loves learning is placed into Ravenclaw–take Hermione, for instance.
I love learning and trying new things. I’m creative and intelligent, too. Does that make me a Ravenclaw? With only that information, one might say so–but I’m not a Ravenclaw. I’m undoubtedly a Hufflepuff. In my opinion, one is Sorted based largely on what he or she values most. I deeply value loyalty, kindness, fairness, and hard work. I consider myself a good and fiercely protective friend. My greatest wish is to be liked, to be known as accepting and tolerant, and most of all, to make others feel loved and appreciated. Continue reading →

For my summer camp schedule and for a lot of my teaching at my own church, I’m talking about vulnerability. I say I’m talking about hope because you need vulnerability to truly have hope. But vulnerability is such a vulnerable word. I’m featuring the hope part to the camp directors. It just feels more hopeful.

I would not be at all surprised that in the near future John and I do a sort of tour talking and singing about vulnerability. Many of the comments John receives about his song writing is that his songs are so vulnerable. As for me, thanks to the work of Dr. Brene Brown I see the Bible and the work of Jesus in our lives through this window of vulnerability. It is so Wild Frontier. Vulnerability is what leads everyone to that Wild Frontier way of life. My 30+ years of preaching can all be placed in this vulnerability window.

Sacred Scared is a blog series from Glennon Doyle Melton. This is a vulnerable blog. This series, Sacred Scared, is real women sharing their vulnerability. Every woman needs to read this series because you will see yourself in here and be encouraged.