Ditching Disobedience There is a moment, right before you step into the promises of God, where you heavily entertain the thought of giving up. "If my life stays the way it is, that's ok." "Maybe I'm not cut out for this." God, through Jesus Christ, is a redeemer by nature. He can redeem your time, money, and your life. He will redeem! However, His ability and promise to redeem doesn’t mean that things won't be lost or forfeited as a result of your disobedience, or delayed obe

Celebrating The Only Gift That Matters So, Christmas is just a few days away! Ornaments abound, with dazzling lights sparkling outside the window pane, causing the eyes of onlookers to enter into a hypnotic stare... A touch of snow gently lays its opaque glaze atop the roof as each flake fitted uniquely so releases its cloak, like the morning dew on the grass... The aroma of hot chocolate mixed with eggnog permeates the corridors, while “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” fa

Practical Encouragement For When Life Doesn't Go As Planned If you’re like me, God has given you a vision of where He wants to take you. You keep on believing and believing, and after turning several corners (without things turning out as you thought they would), you begin to lose faith. Every corner turned without your expected end takes a little more faith from you. Your faith becomes fatigued, and you become weary in well-doing. There are about 20 scriptures I can give you

Celebrating Christ Beyond Holiday Tradition The holiday season is HERE, and Christmas is just a few weeks away! Growing up, the award for 'Mercedes' favorite holiday', hands down, went to Christmas. I can remember my family and I assembled the prickly, white faux tree we used every year. My father and brother managed the entire operation. Between sneaking candy out of the Christmas stockings hanging on the wall, when I wasn't supposed to (don't you dare judge me), I'd help as

The Watering Challenge

Jesus made it clear to the Pharisees that He didn't come to do away with the Law, but to completely fulfill it. As the fulfiller, He had the license to re-write our love story with our Father in Heaven by converting 'religion' into 'relationship'. I'm a huge fan of how Jesus disrupted the fakeness and hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders during that time. They looked good on the outside and seemed to be fruitful, but much like inedible decorative fruit, they were plastic in the Sp

Sharpening Our Effectiveness In This Secular World Back in my school days, I used pencils to write down notes, solve math problems, and to make free-hand drawings. Why use a pen, permanent marker, or another definitive writing tool when I could make a mistake at any point? Using a pencil gave me the grace to do what I needed to do, erase any mistakes I made along the way, and to continue with my task. As Believers, we are figurative 'pencils' -- living in a fleshy vessel, wit

Casting Cares, Fasting Fears, and Shedding Sin...

Making God The Final Authority

Living Distinctively...

The Time To Make REAL Changes & Align With God Is N-O-W!

Choosing To Align

'Narrowgating' is CLCC's new blog series...