The perseverance we find in hope, steadied by peace, gives us the ability to hold tightly to joy. Beethoven composed his 9th symphony with a choral finale and vocalists (something no major composer…

We are halfway through Advent as we light the third candle, Joy. In preparation for this devotional on joy I spent days pouring over verse after verse on joy. I was amazed how…

At the bottom of surrender is peace. I think peace is the steady flame in our hearts to trust beyond understanding even when that flame can become dim as weariness grows and trust…

Advent comes from the word adventus, which is the latin word for coming. We rest our hope on the promises that come from the gospel of peace Jesus lived out. Jesus came to…

We wrestle with much when waiting stretches out beyond our expectation.  I am all too aware of how often answers come in ways I don’t expect. Before Jesus was born, the Jews were…

I stood on Mt. Nebo in Jordan at the spot where God showed Moses the promised land that he would never enter. My heart was filled with wonder at the thought of Moses’…

Advent is a wonderful reminder that peace is possible. Because the peace that Advent reflects on isn’t one where conflict ceases or disagreements are simply halted-Advent peace rebuilds. In other words, it doesn’t…

The word for peace in Hebrew is the word shalom. And while this word can mean the absence of conflict, the definition is meant to highlight the presence of something. Shalom at its…

On this second week of Advent, we light the peace candle.  When you look up the definition of peace in the English language, there are several definitions often referring to a tranquil state,…

A few years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to spend ten days in Jordan filming a music video for their tourism board. It was an amazing experience with a wonderful yet hectic…