Seeing Jesus in our quarterback

Seeing Jesus in our quarterback

Our son Isaac (Ike for short) is both passionate about and gifted in football. Playing quarterback is his thing. When he’s not playing in a game, he’s practicing with a team. When he’s not practicing with a team, he’s getting one-on-one training from one of his...
‘Those moments are priceless’

‘Those moments are priceless’

Second of two parts. If you bring children to Kids Ministries or Mom’s Day Out, you’ve probably already noticed something new: The Book Nook. The Kids Ministries staff and Scroll Resource Center Coordinator Sue Nelson set up the display in a prominent spot near the...
Quieting the Chaos

Quieting the Chaos

At the end of Pastor Luke’s first sermon in our “Make Room” advent series, he challenged us to try fasting, not only from food, but from anything in our life that is dulling and numbing our senses to God. That Sunday, I made a commitment to fast from social media by...
If I Can Do It…

If I Can Do It…

I find it a skosh ironic that I’m the one writing on rest. I’ve been a single mother for the past seven years—with four kids—and every voicemail left on my phone starts with “I know you’re really busy, Johanna …” But God and his...
Matters of Life & Death, Part 2

Matters of Life & Death, Part 2

“We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, ‘Blessed are they that mourn,’ and I accept it. I’ve got nothing that I hadn’t bargained for. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to...
Matters of Life & Death

Matters of Life & Death

No one likes to think about death—especially their own. That’s true even among Christians, for whom death represents entering the presence of God. But a large church like First Free, with many older members, addresses death often. This summer has seen a funeral at...