House on the Rock

One of my favorite moments of the trip happened on a Sunday morning in the breezeway. The breezeway was a favorite spot because it was surrounded by palm trees and offered a beautiful place to hammock where the gentle breeze would disrupt the humid air. The breezeway was a place where you couldn't feel temperature. Weather was something you didn't really notice, because it was perfect. It didn't have a chill that brought goosebumps and it didn't bring a sweat-inducing heat. It was so perfect it was nearly intangible. These details aren't really relevant to the story, but it's worth acknowledging how much this location meant to me. It is where my most impactful quiet times happened, my richest conversations, and the moments where God spoke to me most.  This happened beautifully, like I said, on a Sunday morning. We were planning on going to a church in Belmopan (the capital city) called LifeNet. Because the tire on our bus was slashed, we had a bit more ti...

Stepping into a new year always feels a bit overwhelming. Even though it's nothing more than the turn of a calendar, it feels like the perfect time for a fresh start. A change. Time to refresh, rejuvenate, and refocus. A time to celebrate the past year and look forward to the year ahead.  2018 was a year of immeasurable, unimaginable growth. I experienced heart change, surrender, wandering through the wilderness, laughter, misery, desperate prayers, angry tears, and the faithful friendship and Fatherhood of God through it all. It was a year of stripping away selfishness and learning to love better. It was a year of being unshakable as I stood on the firm foundation of my Savior.  I didn't always make the right decision, and I certainly didn't always come out on top. I failed time and time again. I handled situations poorly. I feared when I should have trusted. I gossiped when I should have prayed. I sinned, but God forgives and redeems an...

I will never forget standing on these rocks in Galilee, just a few hundred feet above the sea that was notorious for its ship-smashing storms. These waters were rough - home to winds and waves so powerful that only the voice of God himself could calm the raging surges of rushing water. T he sea is 700 feet below sea level, and its location makes it subject to sudden violent storms as the eastern wind drops over the sea. Needless to say, these waters are rough.  However, standing on these rocks that tower several hundred feet above the sea, we were completely uplifted from the chaos below. In fact, we were lifted so high above the waters that we were able to simply look down on the waters and from where we stood, the storms seemed small.  As I looked out over the waters, I thought about the storms that abounded in my own life. Conflict between friends, fear of disappointing others, jealousy, heartache, broken relationships, loved ones lost, the destructio...