Imago Voices
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. - Psalm 9:9
Shame is universal and started in the garden of Eden. God covered our shame over and over, but Christ absorbed it once and for all at the Cross. We get that intellectually, but those of us who have been abused hear other voices — voices of condemnation and humiliation. Our shame seems so much deeper. It can easily enter our souls like deadly venom.
Read MoreDespite hearing countless sermons over my life and attending Bible studies and reading the Bible myself, it's hard to pinpoint when something I read or heard made a direct impact on my living and behavior. One instance I specifically remember is when I read the Mary and Martha passage from Luke 10 as part of a Bible study. It was near the holidays, and back then one of my sisters hosted both a Thanksgiving and Christmas gathering. I sometimes helped with the prep upon arrival. But it was post-meal, post-dessert when I'd see the dirty dishes needing to be washed and the leftovers needing to be divided and put away. And since I didn't do the bulk of the preparations, I felt I should help with the clean-up. Not everyone was aware of the need or interested in helping. Sometimes multiple people chipped in, and with more people it's more fun and goes quicker.
Read MoreI stopped reading my bible three years ago. I removed it from its long-inhabited home in my nightstand and put it in a cabinet. Behind a door. Out of sight and out of mind. In reality, though, getting it out of my mind is one of those easier-said-than-done things. Growing up evangelical drilled it into me deep, impressing a narrow and rigid interpretation upon my young mind and heart.
Read MoreMy grandmother was a devout Catholic, the kind that prayed the rosary every single evening. The sweetest woman in the world. I know everyone says that about their grandmother. I’ll fight you on it and I’ll win, but right now I have a word limit to observe.
Growing up Catholic I believed in the Bible, but I had no idea what it actually said. When I became a freshman in high school, I got a lot more serious about my faith and started reading it daily. It’s a habit that hasn’t stopped to this day.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to love all?
For me, my most memorable experiences of “loving all” occur in Haiti...just a short 2 hour flight south of Miami.
On the southern coast of Haiti in a tiny village of Cyvadier stands a 6,000-square foot concrete building the Haitian people call “The House of Life.” American medical volunteers together with a staff of 30 Haitians provide essential medical care to 10,000 people each year during four two-week medical clinics and weekly “urgent care” clinics.
Read MoreI first traveled to Honduras with Imago in 2015. That week, I met two sisters, Andrea and Fanny. They are sweet and sassy, respectively. These girls keep me coming back to Honduras year after year. Do I love digging trenches and mixing concrete too? Absolutely not. But I do it anyway. Because of these relationships. I quickly formed a bond with these girls in the span of just one week five years ago. The following year, I was unable to go on the trip due to a school commitment, but wanted these girls to know that I had not forgotten them. So, I sent a photo along with my husband, Kyle (or Carlos, as he’s known in Honduras), of us together taken the year prior, as well as a brief note to let them know that I think of them often and that they are loved.
Read MoreI am supposed to write to you about giving more. It isn’t easy to do that without falling into the trap of telling you all the wonderful ways I have given of myself or all the wonderful things I have seen doing outreach work. So, I would like to challenge you to think about the idea that giving more equals really knowing the person you are giving to. Have you ever done a Secret Santa at work or school? Do you find yourself wishing for a certain name as the hat goes around and you get to draw?
Read MoreIn November of 2008, we were involved in a car accident. Our SUV was t-boned after a truck pulling a trailer of horses ran a red light. We were fine, except for Libby having a few bruised ribs and a mild concussion. Everyone else involved (including the horses) was uninjured. However, our SUV was totaled.
We were engaged at the time and in the process of figuring out how to join our two lives under one household, including finances. Thankfully, we had good insurance, so we received a payout amount for the vehicle. It was enough to basically cover the car loan plus a small sum leftover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really enough for another down payment.
Read MoreMarch 22 of this year was something I was never prepared for. I received the phone call from my sister that she had found our brother, John Fuller, dead in his bed having committed suicide. I screamed (scaring our daughter), ran up to our room and fell to my knees wailing. The days followed and the roller coaster cycle of grief began. My brother had lived a life that we considered to be so full. He was larger than life, engaged in the community, met with veterans to integrate art and healing to handle PTSD recovery, as he himself had served 17 years in the Army. We had not realized the extent of darkness that led to his death.
Read MoreWe at Imago Dei Church have found ourselves again in a season of transition and waiting, as we search out a new pastoral candidate. The Leadership Team at Imago acknowledges the mixed emotions that come with any transition, especially one where we will be losing two people who have for so long been at the heart and soul of making our church run. While we anxiously await what this new phase of our church’s life will bring, I am reminded that God is never surprised by such changes. Just as he has brought us this far, he will continue to bring us into our next season of life as a church.
Read MoreI went to a small high school in a smal town. It was hard not to be part of an extracurricular. I was in nearly everything that wasn’t considered a sport. Every band (there were 3: marching, jazz and concert), scholastic bowl, musicals, plays and choir. But there was an activity that was considered a combination of music and sport: show choir (and if you’re wondering why marching band wasn’t considered a sport, ask the popular kids, who were in show choir, and not marching band).
Read MoreOne of the most memorable lessons I ever received on prayer came from my pastor’s wife several years ago. She told me about how they had started baking and selling cakes to support themselves at a time when there wasn’t enough support at the church. He baked the cakes, and she frosted them. She wanted to learn how to pipe a rose. A friend told her, “Come on by, I’ll show you how to do it,” but with four kids, she never had time. She prayed, “Lord, show me how to make a rose,” and she learned to make a rose.
Read More“Thoughts and prayers.” “I’m praying for you.” Intercessory prayer is simple to do, takes just a moment and can be equally worthless. For those who don’t believe in God and the power of prayer, of course, it’s worthless. “I’m struggling and I need real tangible help now. And you are asking your imaginary friend to do some nebulous something?” For those who do believe, it can be a huge help. The problems we bring to God are often the sort that are too big for us: an uncle has cancer, a pregnant couple’s baby has been diagnosed with an abnormality and won’t live, a friend’s dad dies unexpectedly weeks before her wedding, even something as simple as a job loss.
Read MorePrayer – that was one part of my spiritual walk that I once thought I had figured out. Of course, it has evolved over the years, starting with kneeling by my bed and praying, “God bless Mother, Daddy, my little sisters, my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.” As my horizons expanded, my list grew to include friends, classmates, my Sunday School teacher, pastor, and all the missionaries. As I became aware of needs, I prayed for healing, wisdom, redemption, and safety. The list grew and the responsibility became weighty as I worried about leaving out a crucial need.
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