Preparing for change is a bit like trying to predict the future, and we humans are mediocre forecasters on our best day. Just ask your local weather man. I am in Week 5 of an unplanned sabbatical. That is not a euphemism; no, I was not fired from my previous job. My previous job was […]
Armed and Ready Not long ago, I wrote here about a heart “event” I underwent three years ago. In that piece, I used that experience to show the difference between a shepherd after God’s own heart and a hireling. You can read that article here. Little did I know at the time that this heart […]
It’s been 13 years since that night I sat with my back to the elm tree. At times it’s hard to imagine that many years have passed; and yet, I can still feel every detail of the bark pressed up against my back. There are days when it feels like I never left that spot, […]
Lessons from a Young Church Planter By Josiah SmithOriginally published October 2019 in Evangel Magazine Free falling at over 120 mph isn’t for the faint of heart, but I thought I’d give it a try. It was a sunny day in May of 2014. My friends and I had arrived in front of the small, […]
Let’s be clear: I am not a baker. However, my wife is a phenomenal cook AND baker. One thing I’ve learned about baking is that ingredients and instructions REALLY matter. While cooking can be a bit forgiving and leaves room for creative reimagining of flavors and textures as you go, baking is more precise. It’s […]
Less “-ing” & more “pastor-“ Three years ago, I had a heart “event,” one that required a 5-day stay in the hospital. Over those five days, I met a parade of cardiologists and nurses. All of these medical practitioners were excellent: professional and personable. Except one: the nurse who woke me in the middle of […]
He who is the Lord of life… came to bind up, not to break; to heal, not to destroy. (Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed) I sat alone with my back to a big elm tree, looking out over the Des Moines River valley, North toward the Kate Shelley bridge. The 16” of snow on the […]
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46.10. As Missionaries in Europe, we were privileged to travel the continent and UK, visiting many beautiful historic cities. Living in Europe, travel wasn’t that expensive, so we used our vacation time […]
Joshua was terrified. No, the Bible doesn’t expressly state this. However, the phrase “be strong and courageous” is used four times in Joshua chapter 1. FOUR TIMES! When a phrase is put on repeat, it’s because you desperately need to focus in on that one truth. Not only that, but we hear it used from […]
During our family’s two decades as missionaries to Europe, we lived for a time in Tours, France, deep in the heart of the beautiful Loire Valley. My duties required that I attend meetings in Belgium’s capital city of Brussels regularly. On one such trip north, I needed to visit the local “Bigg’s,” a Belgian […]
© [2015] — Journey Pastoral Coaching