Today I have a story to tell you about five sisters. Their situation was a bit different than my girls. Their father had died and we don't know anything about their mother. These sisters are alone. And they're alone in a man's world. The nation of Israel stood on the brink of the Jordan River. The Promised Land was so close they could smell it. Soldiers had been numbered by tribe and it was nearly time to go to war. And then God says, "When you win, the land shall be divided by … [Read more...] about Out of Desperate Circumstances
Perhaps Today is Your Third Day
Today's post is the lead article for my RiverCross newsletter. If you'd like to receive the full article, please let me know on Facebook, and I'll add you to the list. Thanks so much! Kwibisa, not her real name, approached me after our third day together in Zambia. A beautiful woman, truly a Titus 2 woman, I had watched as she shared her passion for the children in her care and ministered to the younger women around her. "Cindy, I need to talk to you."We pulled away from the 100 … [Read more...] about Perhaps Today is Your Third Day
Who Does God Use?
He uses women just like you and me. He really does. Last week I participated in a Christian Leadership Alliance conference in Dallas, Texas. On the stage Kelly Minter sang her heart out. In the row in front of me, Kay Arthur sang along. And over the course of several days I heard messages from Rich Stearns, and Michael Oh, and so many others who are leading worldwide efforts to bring Christ to the nations. And I thought, "Who am I? Who am I that God would choose to use me?" And I … [Read more...] about Who Does God Use?
When You’ve Got Nothing
Do you know that God still delights to bring something from nothing? He did it in the beginning, and he's doing it today. If you feel like you've got nothing, today is for you. In Barranquilla, Columbia, you don't cross the tracks to find the most vulnerable children. You walk downhill. When the rains come to Columbia, they saturate the mountains. With the ground unable to swallow another drop, the water rushes downhill turning dirt paths into muddy streams, and streams into rushing … [Read more...] about When You’ve Got Nothing
Have You Ever Hoped for a Lazarus Story?
I have. A number of summers ago when all the children were still home, and every day was marked by swim team practice, and every week was marked by Wednesday nights gathered with a small band of friends who wanted only to sit at the feet of Jesus, we got a call that changed the way I thought about prayer. A two-year old little boy had wandered to the backyard of his grandparents' home and fallen into the pool. He had been rescued, but was on life support. We gathered the children … [Read more...] about Have You Ever Hoped for a Lazarus Story?
What They Call Waste
It's late afternoon, early evening. Friends are arriving. And they're some of your nearest and dearest. You know these people. You love these people. It's an everyday sort of evening. And yet there is grimness in the air. A weightiness behind the smiles as good friends greet one another. Your sister serves wine and you watch as your friends and brother swap stories and move to the table. As the light gets dusky and the oil lanterns are lit, you help with the meal, but your focus isn't on … [Read more...] about What They Call Waste