From the rearview mirror, I saw my then-9-year-old praying again. After mouthing “Amen,” she picked up my phone and dialed her best friend’s number. After the initial greeting, she lit up: “OK, so I received my letter from the camp and have not opened it yet. Go get yours. As we decided, let’s open them together.” “Please let me be in the same club, please let me be in the same club,” I heard my baby girl whisper. She opened the letter and screamed: “Oh my goodness! I made it; I made Continue Reading

The Struggle Is Real, but So Is God {Interview & Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} Listen to this interview with podcaster, entrepreneur, and author Misty Phillip, where she talks about her bible study, The Struggle Is Real, but so Is God, a study focused on how to keep strong faith through life's hard circumstances. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to listen. Read the column about this conversation below. “Blessed be your name when the sun’s Continue Reading
6 Components of Effective Prayers {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
“I fear John Knox’s prayers more than an army of ten thousand men.” — Mary, Queen of Scotland We find the story of King Jehoshaphat in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament. He was the son of King Asa and was known to follow many of his father’s positive actions. But as his father, Jehoshaphat was also a king who often obeyed God partially. Even though he started a national religious education program and developed an extensive legal structure throughout the kingdom, Continue Reading
‘Help Is Here’ – Max Lucado’s New Book (Interview & Column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
“The Spirit is the dove of peace who calms us, the gift giver who equips us, the river of living water who flows out of us to refresh the world.” Max Lucado – “Help Is Here” Fifteen minutes into my conversation with New York best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado, I was surprised by how much I did not know about the beloved author. For starters, I was unaware that he had lived in my country, Brazil, for five years and speaks Portuguese with unlikely fluency for someone who has not Continue Reading
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.” The quote scrolled across the TV screen while the leader talked. I immediately started thinking about the truth behind those words. It was one week before the beginning of the new school year, and I knew it was time to practice some of the changes I had committed to making during the summer. Let me rephrase it: It was time to start implementing some of the changes I felt God was instructing me to make. Leave it to me, and I will keep doing things Continue Reading
Looking Back to Move Forward {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
Early in the spring, I had the opportunity of interviewing Laureus “Sport for Good” Ambassador Grant Lottering. After reading about his extraordinary story, I was curious to meet the man who escaped death. While training for the 2013 World Masters Championship in Italy, Lottering was pronounced dead after a horrific accident. He was revived on the scene and taken to the local hospital, where doctors worked strenuously to save his life. For the next 12 months, Lottering underwent 11 surgeries, Continue Reading
