by Elaine Olsen | Jun 9, 2015 | christian perfection, discipleship, faith, kingdom, Lessons from the Lunchroom, ministry life, obedience, trust
Rough edges. I have some. They were readily exposed for me to clearly see this past year. The catalyst for that exposure? Fifteen students hand-picked by God to move me on toward my perfection! For the past several years, I’ve been incubated from such exposure; life...
by Elaine Olsen | Nov 9, 2014 | faith, family fun, hunger, pilgrimage
They went back home this weekend, or so they say. Really, they went back to the place of my rooting—those first twenty-one years’ worth of soul-shaping that had me running up and down the roads of that little Bluegrass town. The three of us lived there again...
by Elaine Olsen | Oct 22, 2014 | christian perfection, faith, holiness, Lessons from the Lunchroom, living God's truth, pain, pilgrimage, surrender, trust
It’s the heart stuff that concerns me most … both theirs and mine. Growing pains. A soul stretch. A sacred wrecking … reckoning. We’re in this together, and (at this point in the journey) we’re standing at a crossroads. Either we’re going deeper into this holy...
by Elaine Olsen | Sep 12, 2014 | anchor verse, courage, faith, obedience, peace, peace for the journey, pilgrimage, trust
Sometimes we cannot see the way that God is taking us. Really, most days it’s that way, is it not? Just steppin’ on in faith because it’s the best we can do. As a people deeply connected to the heart of God, we try to honor that connection through our obedience and...
by Elaine Olsen | Aug 17, 2014 | baptism, faith, kingdom, living God's truth, obedience, pilgrimage, trust, truth
My heart’s been moved again by the story of Philip and the Ethiopian as found in Acts 8:26-40. This encounter unfolds like a series of rapid succession snapshots, sort of like living a narrative through the lens of a view-finder. Remember those? Philip’s story is a...
by Elaine Olsen | Jul 25, 2014 | dad, faith, knowing God, letting go, ministry life, obedience, pilgrimage
The 51/49 principle. That’s what my daddy calls it – the not so scientific (much less highly spiritual) approach to making decisions. Your gut leanings . . . 51% in one direction; 49% in the other. When in doubt, go with the 51%. When making smaller decisions, the...
