Posts with the category “shepherds-heart”
Shepherd's Heart 5/9/25
May 9th, 2025
Dear Good Shepherd,Years ago, I stood in the back hallway of a church building, clutching my sermon notes like a lifeline. It was my first Sunday preaching in a new setting, and everything inside me w... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 5/2/25
May 2nd, 2025
We’re approaching one of the many events of the year when I’m proud to say, “This is Good Shepherd at its best!” - our congregation’s annual meeting. I am always energized when we have a Worship Cente... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 4/25/25
April 25th, 2025
Shame. Regret. Frustration. Embarrassment.Clickbait? Maybe. But now that I’ve got your attention, how many of you have ever lost your temper?All of us have, right? At some point, we’ve all snapped. W... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 4/18/25
April 18th, 2025
Beloved Good Shepherd Family,Today we linger together in the shadow of the cross. We hold space here, in this holy pause, between the hush of death and the whisper of hope. Today, we remember that bef... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 4/11/25
April 11th, 2025
Can you believe we’re at the doorstep of Palm Sunday and Holy Week? Whether you’ve been able to join our Wednesday services and activities, or have made your own commitment to grow your faith through ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 4/3/25
April 3rd, 2025
“The cross of Christ is the wood between the worlds.There is the world that was, and the world to come, And in between those 2 worlds,Is the wood upon which the Son of God was hung.”-Brian ZahndAs we ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 3/27/25
March 27th, 2025
I have visited Kenya many times, yet each time I return, I am deeply moved when the gates of Cherish Watoto Learning Center open. The air fills with the sound of children singing and dancing, their fa... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 3/21/25
March 21st, 2025
On the first day of spring, we’re supposed to wake up to warmer weather, sunny skies, and first glimpses of greenery pushing up through the ground. But yesterday morning, I think we were all a bit sho... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 3/14/25
March 14th, 2025
A Call to Be Salt and LightJohn Stott once said, “We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, ‘What has happened to the salt an... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 3/6/25
March 6th, 2025
Excited for Feed the Need Weekend!We are thrilled to come together this weekend for Feed the Need, an incredible opportunity to unite as a community and partner with over 40 faith-based and business o... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 2/21/25
February 21st, 2025
When I arrived at Good Shepherd in 1995, I saw a committed group of church members who had survived a very difficult chapter in the life of the church. Leading up to this time, there was a call that ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart/Council Update 2/14/25
February 14th, 2025
Good Shepherd Family,I have always felt that my first responsibility as Council President is to listen. Therefore, after a few conversations I’ve had with members of our church, I wanted to clearly co... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 2/6/25
February 6th, 2025
In multiple conversations I’ve had over the past few days, many folks share how ready they are for spring! They’re longing for greenery and growth, colorful flowers, and warmer weather. In my own hear... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 1/31/25
January 31st, 2025
Dear Church Family,This weekend, we close out our Anatomy of a Soul series, and I don’t plan to preach (well kind of)—I just want to talk. To slow down. To take inventory of our hearts, our emotions, ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 1/24/25
January 24th, 2025
All in Now!Even after worshiping at Good Shepherd for much of my adult life, I don’t “truly, deeplyknow” many GShep congregants. I know faces—I’m good at remembering faces. But I’m lousy at connecting... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 1/17/25
January 17th, 2025
100+ students and Leaders. A weekend away. A chance to encounter God. How awesome is that?This weekend, over a hundred of our students are heading to Lake Geneva Youth Camp—a space where God moves, fr... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 1/10/25
January 10th, 2025
I love the invitation of a new year, not because it’s going to be perfect or everything I envision will come to pass, but it seems like a chance to reset… my heart and perspective, my family and our r... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 1/3/25
January 3rd, 2025
Dear ones,As I look back on this Christmas season, my heart is full of gratitude. On Christmas Eve, we saw over 3,300 people gather across our worship services, each one a moment to proclaim the joy o... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 12/27/24
December 27th, 2024
This December, I received an unexpected gift that made it feel like the best Christmas ever! Have you ever experienced that joy deep within your soul as you become keenly aware of God’s Presence and w... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 12/20/24
December 20th, 2024
Was Jesus born in a barn? That’s how many of us picture it, right? Away from people, society, and comfort—surrounded only by animals, some hay, and his parents. Jesus was born far away. Or was he? May... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 12/13/24
December 13th, 2024
It had been a trying half a year. Covid had hit and rocked the world. Personally, I struggled with not being able to travel and see family and friends, and then just when I thought it could not get wo... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 12/6/24
December 6th, 2024
Throughout my childhood, I recall my mother often saying, “You get more joy out of giving than receiving!” as she encouraged a spirit of generosity in me. Over my lifetime, through both personal exper... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 11/27/24
November 27th, 2024
I vividly remember the feeling. It was early December 2009 and I was teaching 5th grade at River Woods Elementary School in Naperville. One day as I settled down after school to work on lesson plans, ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 11/22/24
November 22nd, 2024
How do we know?I am sure you have been asked or thought about that question before…If you are married…how did you know that you were the right one?Looking back on the selection of the college or caree... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 11/15/24
November 15th, 2024
Dear Ones,As we enter the final week of our FORWARD generosity initiative, my heart is brimming with awe and gratitude. God’s hand has been so evident among us. His grace has met us in abundance, and ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 11/8/24
November 8th, 2024
Do you ever wish you could know something with absolute certainty? Wouldn’t that be comforting? Think about it: if we could know for sure where to go to college, where to invest, who to befriend, who ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 10/30/24
October 30th, 2024
I’m just going to say it, dear church, we are less than two months away from Christmas! I know that seems impossible to some of you, or might make others cringe. Yet I do see some of you in the back a... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 10/25/24
October 25th, 2024
I love everything about the fall season including sunny days, cool nights, and watching the leaves change to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. I love wearing my boots and cozy sweaters and ... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 10/18/24
October 18th, 2024
Ministry, like life, ebbs and flows…through quiet and busy times, some that require hard work, and others that allow us to pause and celebrate what God is doing. The holidays, VBS (Vacation Bible Scho... Read More
Shepherd's Heart 10/11/24
October 11th, 2024
What went through Michaelangelo’s mind when he finished his last brush stroke while painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? With the paint still wet, did he climb down from the scaffolding and loo... Read More