DEVOTIONS

There is one who wasn't paradoxical. . .

When Jesus was talking to his disciples, his friends, he was trying to prepare them for his departure. They were bewildered and there was one among them that just couldn’t refrain from speaking up when something wasn’t what it seemed or something did not make sense. 

A Daily Lenten Devotion When Tom and I began dating, we quickly realized that although we had so much in common, our brains functioned in very different ways. His = logical, thoughtful, detailed, and one that finishes things. Mine = creative, ...

A Daily Lenten Devotion Can you think of a time that you were given freedom to do something you’d always really wanted to do and you LOVED it?? There was no going back to the way it used to be! When I first began my career in ministry 26 ...

Growing up I used to be mortified because two times a year my father would insist on going to Fort Bragg for grocery shopping. He was career military, serving in 3 wars, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and felt strongly that he should utilize the career military perks that came once he retired.

A Daily Lenten Devotion Anytime either of my children says, “it would mean a lot to me if you would . . .” So I am determined to investigate their request. Per my son's suggestion, I applied for a Johns Hopkins research study. He’d studied ...

Three years ago I had the opportunity to be in a clergy study led by Johns Hopkins University. It truly was one of the most transformative experiences of my entire life. Now, the study itself is a little controversial, so I am asking that you ...

Sometimes it is pretty easy to "read a room." Especially if the room is an outdoor space, under a tent, with 400 eyes no more than 50 feet away in broad daylight. You can tell if things are going "well" or not. And the start of the conference ...

A Daily Lenten Devotion Imagine what it would be like to meet someone with no expectations around what meeting them would be like. There are no preset standards you have in your mind regarding them. It is simply a meeting of two people. Yet, ...

A Daily Lenten Devotion Who is the worst teacher you ever had? I’m not sure I would have been able to understand Chemistry WITH a good teacher, but I would have at least had a fighting chance. Mr. Williams (fictitious name) was my Chemistry ...

As we've been in Uganda, things have been so "different" - I decided to put away the pre-written devotions and share with you some "God-things" that we never imagined. First, please know. West is very passionate about local missions, helping ...