Blog: Encouragement
Posted: July 24, 2026
We live in a world obsessed with big, showy, and Instagram-worthy. We want bigger platforms, larger online audiences, more social media followers, growing churches, and wider influence. Somewhere along the way, we have begun to believe that unless a contribution is visible, impressive, or large, it is not valuable. But how did we get here, when some of the greatest miracles in the Bible began with small, quiet, seemingly insignificant acts? How and where have we lost sight of the power of small? One of the greatest miracles in the Bible began with a little boy carrying an ordinary lunch: five loaves and two fish. It was hardly enough to satisfy his own hunger, let alone feed thousands. The miracle was found not in the size of the lunch, but in the boy’s willingness to place what he had into the hands of Jesus. I wonder if, as he offered it,…
Posted in: achievements, adventure, ask God, be creative, becoming, beyond ordinary, Big is better, big platforms, blessing, circumstances, Come to Jesus, community, companionship, courage, Encouragement, Expectations, extraordinary, finding yourself, Forgiveness, God's goodness, God's love, goodness of God, influence, Instagram, love yourself, mega churches, miracle moments, miracles, open habnds, open heart, personalities, power of hugs, power of small, recognition, relationships, surrender, trust Good, Valued
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Posted: July 8, 2026
The older I get, the more certain I become that life is not measured by bestselling books, the size of our homes, the balance in our bank accounts, or the number of followers we have on social media. Life is measured by the relationships we nurture, the people we love well, and the moments when we choose to truly show up for one another. Life is measured by relationships we nurture. I’ve lived long enough to know that life can change in a single moment. I’ve experienced heartbreaking loss—the kind that steals away your breath—and I’ve also known deep joy, unexpected detours, God-given opportunities that left me speechless, and miracles I could never have imagined. Through all the ups and downs of this crazy, wonderful life, one truth has remained constant: people have carried me when I did not have the strength to carry myself, and they have celebrated with…
Posted in: accumulate experiences, achievements, barefoot in the rain, beauty and joy, beauty and pain coexist, Best friends, break free, brokenness, care, celebrate instead of compare, circle of friends, Communication, cry, don't you care, empathy, Encouragement, find the simple joys, fresh joy, friends, Friendship, girlfriends, God's love, good conversation, grief, grief is lonely, growing old, happiness needs to be shared, hugs, hurting world, joy, laughter, listen, loneliness, love lives here, make time for each other, one-another, positive conversations, power of hugs, power of words, Prayer deepens relationships, praying with friends, recapture your joy, relationships, show up, spiritual friendships, Understanding each other, we are made for relationships
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Posted: June 5, 2026
We all long for “heart connection” relationships—places where we can finally exhale, where we don’t have to impress or pretend. Places where we can be what I call “spiritually naked and unashamed.” Yes, the kind of relationship where we don’t have to hide the unpolished parts of ourselves or cover our fears and struggles behind a carefully orchestrated mask. Masks protect us from rejection but also genuine connection. Throughout Scripture, God is always inviting people into something deeper—something more intimate. He never asks us to bring our perfected selves; instead, He welcomes us as we are. David’s honest laments, desperate pleadings, and even his anger before God, along with Peter’s failures, reveal a God who meets His people in their weakness and lovingly draws them into deeper, more authentic relationship. So how do we do this? This quest for authenticity? First of all, we have to want it. Authentic relationships…
Posted in: ask questions, authentic, be a blessing, beauty and joy, Best friends, circle of friends, Commitment, community, companionship, courage, don't give up, empathy, Encouragement, find the simple joys, Finding Truth, finding yourself, friends, Friendship, girlfriends, good conversation, happiness, happiness needs to be shared, happy heart, honesty, how do you spell LOVE, hugs, intentionality, Kindness, laughter, Lifter-uppers, Listening, love lives here, make time for each other, mutuality, one-another, Prayer deepens relationships, Praying divides our burdens, praying with friends, relationships, spiritual friendships, Understanding each other, vulnerable, we are made for relationships, we need each other
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Posted: May 7, 2026
“You don’t have an Apple watch?” With a puzzled scowl my friend looked at my empty wrist. “Nope I replied confidently, and I won’t be getting one. Let me explain. There are already too many distractions that take my attention from the important things right in front of me. I don’t need the pressure to respond to yet another message that can wait.” I believe that few things in life are that urgent. Yes, there are a lot of important things to attend to but most of them don’t need our immediate attention. I remember a time when we had one phone in our house and if you weren’t home to answer it. Oh well, you’ll have to try again. We were not prisoners of our digital devices, instead we made time to connect with our eyes and conversations. We shared meals, played games, stopped at each other’s homes for…
Posted in: all alone, alone, Covid-19, emotional triggers, empathy, Encouragement, Families, friends, Friendship, good conversation, happiness needs to be shared, isolated, isolation, laughter, loneliness, loneliness epidemic, loneliness Pandemic, make time for each other, praying with friends, relationships, rhythm, spiritual friendships, vulnerable, we are made for relationships, we need each other, we need heart connections
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Posted: March 26, 2026
The cat’s out of the bag; I turned 79 last week! While in Colombia, South American the calendar showed it was my Birthday and wow did I get celebrated. It’s so refreshing to experience how people in other countries esteem and honour older people. I truly felt cherished and celebrated. Whenever people hear my age, they are shocked and wonder why I am still travelling around the world to speak at churches and conferences. I say: “Why not?” As Christians in ministry do, we ever retire? I am so grateful for my body which, to this point, has not let me down. The 31 years of pumping weights in the gym and now these last years of walking and hiking have kept my core strong and infused energy. In the morning when my feet hit the floor, I thank God that my body still works and I am able to…
Posted in: accumulate experiences, achievements, adventure, Age is not a cage, Balancing life, beauty and joy, beauty in God's creation, Best friends, bitterness, celebrate instead of compare, circle of friends, companionship, decisions, do the right thing, don't give up, Encouragement, Expectations, feeling good, find the simple joys, finding yourself, Forgiveness, fresh joy, friends, girlfriends, God's creation, growing old, Hearing God, Hope, Legacy, lifestyle, Made for more, Overcoming Struggles, praise, Prayer deepens relationships, praying with friends, purpose, recapture your joy, regret, seasons of life, show up, take care of your heart, thankful, thanksgiving, we are made for relationships
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Posted: February 9, 2026
Posted in: accusations, all alone, anxiety, ask for help, Balancing life, care, Christ, Come to Jesus, communicate, disappointment, do the right thing, don't you care, Encouragement, Expectations, feeling bad, finding yourself, frustrations, gift of peace, God's voice, heart of God, honest, intersection of faith, invisible, Jesus, lifestyle, live one day at a time, Making Wise Choices, needs, Offenses, Overcoming Struggles, Overwhelmed and Undervalued, Peace, personalities, power of words, presence of God, purpose, Resentment, rest, rhythm, Say no, self worth, take care of your heart, troubled hearts, trust God for today, Understanding each other, we need each other, what rest do you need?
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Posted: July 7, 2025
An emotional lightning bolt hit me on the golf course. I saw the backside of a man about Jack’s age, wearing a Puma golf hat, with black golf shorts and a blue shirt. That’s exactly what Jack always wore. My heart started to pound; I stopped and couldn’t take my eyes off him. I’m not crazy. Of course I knew it wasn’t Jack. My brain knows Jack died a long time ago. But our grief saturated minds can play powerful tricks on our feelings. The desire to see our loved ones again is so powerful, our hearts become irrational with that deep longing. We’re not crazy we’re just sad. Some smells and sounds trigger emotional responses that are quite shocking. Jack and I had a favorite restaurant which is quite expensive, so we went there only on special occasions. Months after Jack died a family member (who didn’t now it…
Posted in: alone, ask God, breathing, brokenness, circumstances, cry, darkness, death, despair, disappointments, emotional recovery, emotional triggers, empathy, Encouragement, feeling bad, grief affects the brain, grief changes us, grief is lonely, grief is misunderstood, grief is unpredictable, Hope, live one day at a time, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, refining process, seasons of darkness, Self-compassion, special kind of love, suffering, take care of your heart, time doesn't heal, trauma, we need each other
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Posted: April 7, 2025
Consider this. Your three-year-old son is working up courage to ride his two-wheeler. You’re holding onto him and also running behind him to “encourage” him to have the courage. These two words are deeply interconnected, and each playing a vital role in helping each other to overcome challenges, grow and flourish. Courage is the inner strength that pushes us to step into our fear, uncertainly or discomfort and take risks. Courage often needs an external supportive force. This is where God, you and I come in. The Bible tells us in many places to “encourage one another.” It says: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Like gigantic trees whose roots intertwine and hold each other up, we are created in Christ to play that same role. Our courage first comes from God and the Holy Spirit that lives…
Posted in: adventure, Anticipation, canning peaches, circle of friends, community, courage, decisions, do the hard work, don't give up, Encouragement, Fear, feeling bad, feeling good, Friendship, Holy Spirit, listen, Listening, Making Wise Choices, one-another, Overcoming Fear, Overcoming Struggles, power of words, reframe fear, relationships, share your story, trust, vulnerable, we are made for relationships, we need each other, weaknesses, words of affirmation
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Posted: March 10, 2025
Freedom for me is walking in the rain. I was six years old, and still living in Germany when sauntering home from school I had a grand idea. After a huge downpour of rain I thought it would be fun to walk in the rain filled ditches. It was exhilarating. I still remember the joy of the warm water swirling around my legs and the splashing and jumping. I made one huge mistake. I kept my shoes on and was punished when I got home. These days while living in Kelowna, British Columbia, in a semi-arid landscape, rain is quite rare. So when it comes I pull out my umbrella and walk in the sweetness of the rain. Oh the sounds and the pure smell of rain is so refreshing and joyful. The sounds and smells of rain is so refreshing. This past February and part of March I was…
Posted in: accumulate experiences, adventure, barefoot in the rain, Colombia, companionship, Encouragement, feeling good, Freedom, Freedom from Busyness, fresh joy, friends, Friendship, girlfriends, glimpse of Heaven, happy heart, joy, laugh, laughter, Laughter, mission trips, recapture your joy, set free, walk in the rain
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Posted: October 8, 2024
My favourite festivity of the year is, hands down, Thanksgiving. It surpasses Christmas and birthdays. I love it for many reasons. The changing of colours in the landscape into yellow, orange and red. The smell and variety of harvest fruits and vegetables. Cooler days which invite perfect days for hiking and golfing. A heart filled with thanksgiving and the best part…we don’t have to expend energy to buy unnecessary gifts. Little bits of fall decorating in my home help to set the ambiance and getting the house ready for a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner. And we want it to be perfect don’t we? Sadly I’ve had many disappointments and disasters. Let me take you back to the worst one in 2018. The worst one was in 2018. The Thanksgiving table was beautifully decorated with my best linen tablecloth, candles, leaves, dried wheat and all my best china and crystal glasses. Because…
Posted in: adventure, ambiance, be creative, circumstances, confront conflict, decisions, desires, disappointments, disasters, each day has enough troubles of its own, Encouragement, Expectations, Families, fresh joy, fUN, good conversation, happy meals, home sweet home, hospitality, joy, Laughter, love lives here, presents, regret, Tension, thankful, thanksgiving
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