Posts with the category “shepherds-heart”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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