Posts by Carmen Fowler LaBerge
Storm Stories: How We Bear One Another’s Burdens
How we show the heart of God by being present in people’s pain and listening to each other’s stories. It’s the kind of thing you never forget, right? The storm stories. You never forget them. The disciples never forgot the storm on the lake, nor the One who calmed the storm (Mark 4). They also…
Read MoreCulture as Garden: How God’s People Cultivate Good in a Broken World
What is culture? And why does it matter? Culture. It’s a bit of buzzword. We’ve got office culture, pop culture, church wars and even a clash of cultures but do we really know how to define it? What is culture? From a biblical perspective, a simple definition of culture is what humans do with what…
Read MoreSpotlight Interview with Rick Lawrence on true discipleship: Following Jesus, not principles
When I say the word discipleship, what do you think of? Jesus tells us to go and make disciples. Well, what does that look like? I mean, did he pass out a curriculum? He was the pattern that, by living and walking alongside him and listening to him, they learned the character and the nature…
Read MoreTake a Summer Vacation WITH Jesus, not away from Him
Keeping Jesus at the Center of Your Summer Summer vacation means Vacation Bible School (VBS). We may remember participating in something like this as a kid, or with our kids. Or maybe we are volunteering for a week of VBS at our church or with our grandkids. Can you remember any of your favorite VBS…
Read MoreWrestling with Israel, and Wrestling with God
When Conversations About Israel Become Conversations About God Israel. What is it or who is it or where is it? Good questions. Let’s wrestle with it. Did you know that before Israel was a geo-political entity it was a people. And before it was a people, Israel was a person. And all along, Israel has…
Read MoreJoin the Culture Gardener Challenge this summer
Dear friends, It’s time to get gardening! Culture gardening. Let me explain. Consider the dominant metaphors for culture: melting pot, war zone or contest, stage, endlessly repeating cycle, or culture is likened to a house or a river. And while several of these have scriptural support, the primary metaphor God uses for culture throughout the…
Read MoreSpotlight Interview: Ray Ortlund finds good news at rock bottom
Where is God in our pain? When the bottom drops out and you finally discover a new rock bottom, is God really near to the brokenhearted? Is God there? Does he care? What is he doing? Why is he not helping me? If you have ever cried out in any of these ways, we’ve got…
Read MoreGod-mothers
God-mothers If you are not a mom, you might be tempted to tune out Mother’s Day. Or perhaps, the day is just about planning—with cards purchased and flowers ordered and reservations made. But don’t tune out. I am thinking of Mother’s Day cards that I gave to Ms. Mabry in the fifth grade and she…
Read MoreCarmen talks Re-Presenting Christ on Bloom TV
Talking with my friend Gayle Guyardo, on her show Bloom Health Club with WFLA in Tampa, FL, we discussed the ways believers can live out our faith in our every day. Who are you re-presenting with your life and conversations?
Read MoreResource: What is justice?
Here’s a question recently posted by a Reconnect listener: What is justice? When God said we are to live a life of goodness, kindness, and justice (Micah 6:8), what does He mean by justice and how does that word differ from being good and kind? You have heard that the justice of God is going…
Read MoreSpotlight Interview: Ellie Holcomb reminds us that Spring Sings
Spring sings! Think about that for just a moment— all the ways in which Spring sings to us. Artist, author and musician, Ellie Holcomb joined me to talk about her new Easter children’s book, Spring Sings! The LaBerge family loves Ellie’s books already and we are excited to welcome this latest book, and the accompanying…
Read MoreThe Jesus Nut
Jesus is literally in the headlines: ‘“Jesus nut” could be the key clue in Hudson River helicopter crash.’” The story about the recent helicopter crash in Manhattan reads: A fist-sized piece of steel known as the “Jesus nut” could be a crucial piece of evidence in the horrific helicopter crash that killed a Spanish family…
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