Fasting Is A Way To Grow
Fasting may be a new concept to many, but it is a powerful tool that God gave us to grow in relationship with Him. When we put off a physical need, and we focus our energy on God, we learn to trust Him. It is when we acknowledge that He is the one true source […]
Think About This On Valentine’s Day
We are coming up on Valentine’s Day. My husband, Bob, and I are not a big Valentine’s Day couple, but I “love” the focus on love. Anytime is a perfect time to show love and appreciation for your significant other. Bob and I have been married for 20 years. He immediately drew my attention that […]
Keep Shining In The Darkness
Today I want to encourage you to keep shining. My best friend from college is a coach in Bloomington. He is a follower of Christ and where he has influence with others, he says these words often “Keep Shining”. It’s a reference to Jesus words in Matthew 5:14: “You are the Light of the […]
Rightnow Media Equips You
When I was a little girl, I loved the library. It was one of my favorite places to go. I loved the wealth of information available at my fingertips, the smell of the books, the anticipation of learning something new or discovering a new author. At one point, we lived in a tiny town that […]
You Are The Church
Do you remember the last time you went somewhere new? You didn’t know where the location was (you trusted your phone app ?) and arrived and everything was new. It may have been exciting, uncomfortable, or scary. Last Fall my wife, Rachelle, and I made a trip to Washington, D.C. We had an appointment to […]
The Haves And The Have-Nots
We have all heard the phrase, “The Haves and the Have-Nots.” While many associate this time of year with gifts, time with family, and time away from work, it is also an unfortunate opportunity to polarize the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots.” Society and the media we consume, allows us to place ourselves into one of […]
Pray With Purpose
I don’t know about you, but when I pray, I pray with an expectation that something will happen. That can vary depending on the situation, but usually I’m hoping for something; an answer, wisdom, healing, opportunity, grace, mercy, favor, forgiveness……Lately, the thing I’m wanting most from prayer is the peace, love, and serenity that comes […]
Be A Disciple – Take The Next Step
What is a Disciple? I would define a disciple as someone following Jesus, who helps others to find and follow Jesus. Finding Jesus can be a process and learning to follow Him is part of that, but teaching someone to find and follow Him may seem like another ballgame altogether! We don’t just automatically know […]
Be Strong Even When It’s Hard
Have you ever noticed that anything that really matters in life is not easy? Parenting, marriage, relationships…they all take work. There are peaks and valleys and it’s not easy. The fact is, following Jesus can be hard. Our culture is not focused on Jesus even though that is something that really matters. I was recently […]
You Are Chosen By God
I like to read. There are a few reasons I read, for encouragement, to learn and to be reminded that God has chosen me. I read from the same devotional Bible every year. One verse, and one or two sentences of application. Here’s one of my favorites… You were chosen to tell people about the […]
What’s The Big Deal?
Pulse Student Ministries held a kickoff event for the 2019-2020 school year and the turnout was incredible – 119 students ranging from 5th graders through seniors in high school. The plan was simple: play games (bags, 9 square, spikeball, etc) and cookout burgers and hot dogs. The night was a success. The students had fun, […]
Ain’t No People Like My People
I have a t-shirt that says “Ain’t no people like my people.” SO TRUE! My people, my friends, my sounding boards, at times my guardrail. They love and support me well. They know I have a hard time asking for help so instead, they offer it and sometimes, they just tell me they are helping […]
A Cheering Section Just For You
Have you ever had someone cheer for you? Have you ever wanted someone to cheer for you, but it just didn’t happen? Here at The Village we feel it’s very important to encourage and love everyone. When it comes to baptism especially, everyone should have a cheering section. Every Thursday The Village has a church […]
It Looked Easy
Recently I left on our annual CIY Move Student Conference trip for the 16th time in my life. Five times I attended as a student in Carbondale, Illinois, once as an intern in Anderson, Indiana, a half dozen in Michigan at the beautiful Hope College as the youth pastor, another few in Cedarville, Ohio. This […]
Recovering Perfectionist Under Construction
Hi, I’m Erica, and I am a recovering perfectionist! Can you relate? Since my earliest memories, I have been drawn to perfection. As a kid, I despised the idea of a toy box! All of those random toys just tossed in one big box in such a haphazard way! What a terrible idea! When my […]
Who Are You Thankful To?
God has surely been very good to me. I have more blessings than I can count! One such blessing is I had the opportunity to volunteer in my son’s kindergarten class during the school year. I helped with the classroom parties, and I was able to chaperone the end of the year field trip. Another […]
Why We Do What We Do
I am honored to serve on or consult with boards of different charities. Each one has a mission and each one has a budget that is in place to accomplish that mission. In short…here’s a problem, and this is our solution. It’s the “Why we do what we do.” Here’s a great example of a […]
Accept The Opportunity
I am grateful for the opportunity to be generous in many ways. Generosity of Spirit, generosity with finances, generosity of time. All of them have something in common, the way they make people feel. The receiver feels seen, valued, appreciated, cared for and loved. There is a tangible nature to the love they have been […]
You Are Perfect As You Are
What if you lived a life where you weren’t up at night worrying about how you are going to make everything perfect for your kids? Do you worry about money, or stress about the number of things on your to-do list? Do you have a spouse that you feel like doesn’t recognize your worth? Doesn’t […]
Take Time To Celebrate
This is the day the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 Do you struggle to have JOY in your life? I do. Many would describe me as over serious all the time. I like projects, tasks, mission and organizing people to accomplish things. This involves details and planning […]
When Life Doesn’t Go According To Plan
This past Sunday, I did what I always do. We finished our worship planning meeting at 8 am, and I headed to the prayer room to pray before services. Every week I do this, it’s part of the plan. Lilye, our Prayer Pastor, and our Prayer Team get together and pray over the day. Today […]
Trust Your Gut
I should have trusted my gut and went with it. It was Friday afternoon in late October. I was in the middle of a difficult recovery from my second knee surgery. I could not drive, so my father-in-law was my chauffeur. We just got home from a long day of physical therapy and doctors appointments […]
Let Your Light Shine
I saw this stat yesterday that said we just experienced the cloudiest February in 57 years! Then the comment was, “Now I know why everyone is so grouchy” ? OR maybe better said by my wife…“Now I know why you are so grouchy!” It’s easy to feel grouchy when the weather is cold and cloudy. Unfortunately, […]
Is The Bible Reliable?
Bible Stories Even if you weren’t raised in the church, you still know more bible stories than you think: Noah and the ______. Jonah and the ______. Joseph and the Amazing ________. Moses and the _______________. Jesus was born in a _____________. He raised from dead on the _____ day. In our culture, many people […]