• #blackouttuesday✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
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    #blackouttuesday✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
  • Spirit, come. . . We have failed to listen, for too long. May your fire open our ears to hear, our minds to understand, our hearts to repent. . Spirit, come. . . We have failed to love as Jesus loved, for too long. Burn our hearts with your agape, for all of your children, so we have no choice but to weep with those who weep and offer your comfort to humanity’s pain. . . Spirit, come. . . We have let our differences divide us, rather than teach us, for too long. May your presence incinerate our pride, and teach us humility, that we may serve rather than shame. . . Spirit, come. . . We have tried to forge our way without your fire, and we are consumed because of it. We need you, the Presence that heals rather than wounds, the One who saves, rather condemns. The only One who has the power to remind us ... We belong to you. And that means we belong to each other, too. . . Spirit, come.
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    Spirit, come. . . We have failed to listen, for too long. May your fire open our ears to hear, our minds to understand, our hearts to repent. . Spirit, come. . . We have failed to love as Jesus loved, for too long. Burn our hearts with your agape, for all of your children, so we have no choice but to weep with those who weep and offer your comfort to humanity’s pain. . . Spirit, come. . . We have let our differences divide us, rather than teach us, for too long. May your presence incinerate our pride, and teach us humility, that we may serve rather than shame. . . Spirit, come. . . We have tried to forge our way without your fire, and we are consumed because of it. We need you, the Presence that heals rather than wounds, the One who saves, rather condemns. The only One who has the power to remind us ... We belong to you. And that means we belong to each other, too. . . Spirit, come.
  • VACATION READS: . . (1) Rules of Civility, by @amortowles. I read Gentleman In Moscow over a year ago, and it immediately made my top 10 fiction books of all time (a title I don’t hand out lightly). Naturally I had to read Amor’s first, and it did not disappoint. Loved it.👏🏻 . . (2) The Logic of God, by @ravizacharias. I purchased this one before his death. But his words are even richer considering. His chapter on the question of pain is particularly touching to me. And powerful for the skeptic. . . (3) Something Borrowed, by @emilygiffinauthor. This one was recommended by my friend @katherinerowley. I started around lunch and am almost 15% in. Verdict is still out. But easy read, decent writing, funny characters. . . . (4) Woke Church, by @pastoremase. My good friend @iknowverbs recommended this one (and then my friend @michaelhyatt did). I’ll start it tomorrow, but have no doubt it will provoke needed growth. Waiting and wishing for change doesn’t work. Learning and confessing and repenting and taking action does. . . What vacation reads do YOU recommend?📚 . . #books #amreading #summerreading #instabooks #familyvacation #vacationreads #goodbooks #bookrecommendations
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    VACATION READS: . . (1) Rules of Civility, by @amortowles. I read Gentleman In Moscow over a year ago, and it immediately made my top 10 fiction books of all time (a title I don’t hand out lightly). Naturally I had to read Amor’s first, and it did not disappoint. Loved it.👏🏻 . . (2) The Logic of God, by @ravizacharias. I purchased this one before his death. But his words are even richer considering. His chapter on the question of pain is particularly touching to me. And powerful for the skeptic. . . (3) Something Borrowed, by @emilygiffinauthor. This one was recommended by my friend @katherinerowley. I started around lunch and am almost 15% in. Verdict is still out. But easy read, decent writing, funny characters. . . . (4) Woke Church, by @pastoremase. My good friend @iknowverbs recommended this one (and then my friend @michaelhyatt did). I’ll start it tomorrow, but have no doubt it will provoke needed growth. Waiting and wishing for change doesn’t work. Learning and confessing and repenting and taking action does. . . What vacation reads do YOU recommend?📚 . . #books #amreading #summerreading #instabooks #familyvacation #vacationreads #goodbooks #bookrecommendations
  • This kid. . . 7 years ago, we took him and his sisters to California and spent a full day at Huntington Beach. They’d never seen the ocean before. But while the girls jumped right in, this kid stood at a distance. Fear dominated his life, and for good reason. In the years before he came to us, safety was an illusion. So the thought of even putting his toes in the water terrified him. . . All day long, he inched toward the water and then ran away. Finally right before we packed up to head home, he overcame his fear enough to sit in the shallows. It was HUGE. And I nearly cried when I saw it. (Swipe left for a pic of that moment). . Over the last several years, I’ve learned how unforgiving the world is to children who come from hard places. The things we’ve had to deal with make me so angry I can’t yet trust myself to talk about it. . . But I will say this: Yesterday I watched this seven-years-older kid kneeboard and tube around a huge lake going almost 30 mph. Fear still sits on the fringes, but it doesn’t rule him as much as it used to. And although so many grown adults don’t see it (and sometimes I don’t), this kid has overcome more hardship than most of us. . . Even better, he’s STILL OVERCOMING. . . P.S. One request? If you know a kid who seems “difficult”, consider the possibility that it might not be as simple as bad parenting or poor behavior. It could be the result of abuse and loss and grief beyond your imagination. Try grace and kindness on for size before you rush to judgment. ❤️
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    This kid. . . 7 years ago, we took him and his sisters to California and spent a full day at Huntington Beach. They’d never seen the ocean before. But while the girls jumped right in, this kid stood at a distance. Fear dominated his life, and for good reason. In the years before he came to us, safety was an illusion. So the thought of even putting his toes in the water terrified him. . . All day long, he inched toward the water and then ran away. Finally right before we packed up to head home, he overcame his fear enough to sit in the shallows. It was HUGE. And I nearly cried when I saw it. (Swipe left for a pic of that moment). . Over the last several years, I’ve learned how unforgiving the world is to children who come from hard places. The things we’ve had to deal with make me so angry I can’t yet trust myself to talk about it. . . But I will say this: Yesterday I watched this seven-years-older kid kneeboard and tube around a huge lake going almost 30 mph. Fear still sits on the fringes, but it doesn’t rule him as much as it used to. And although so many grown adults don’t see it (and sometimes I don’t), this kid has overcome more hardship than most of us. . . Even better, he’s STILL OVERCOMING. . . P.S. One request? If you know a kid who seems “difficult”, consider the possibility that it might not be as simple as bad parenting or poor behavior. It could be the result of abuse and loss and grief beyond your imagination. Try grace and kindness on for size before you rush to judgment. ❤️
  • I’ve long struggled with insecurity. There are valid reasons for it, and I’ve spent many years (and hundreds of hours of therapy) learning how to overcome it. . . Ironically, the biggest strides I made against my insecurity came when cancer left me with a permanent functional disability and a body that doesn’t quite look and work like it’s supposed to. I no longer have extra energy to spend trying to impress people with false perfection. It takes everything I’ve got just to wake up and live. . . Even so, some days it requires extraordinary strength for me to show up and be seen as I am: on videos and podcasts, in meetings and speaking engagements. Shame over how I sound and look always hovers on the edges, and some days I have a tough time telling it to get lost. . . When this happens, my cure is to go back to Psalm 90:14, a verse that’s become a centering prayer. . . “Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love...” . . When I find my satisfaction in the One who loved me long before I cleaned myself up, then I don’t have to scramble trying to win your favor. He is enough for me. And I’ll pray that prayer as many times as needed until the urge to hustle my way to your approval fades and peace in His presence remains.
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    I’ve long struggled with insecurity. There are valid reasons for it, and I’ve spent many years (and hundreds of hours of therapy) learning how to overcome it. . . Ironically, the biggest strides I made against my insecurity came when cancer left me with a permanent functional disability and a body that doesn’t quite look and work like it’s supposed to. I no longer have extra energy to spend trying to impress people with false perfection. It takes everything I’ve got just to wake up and live. . . Even so, some days it requires extraordinary strength for me to show up and be seen as I am: on videos and podcasts, in meetings and speaking engagements. Shame over how I sound and look always hovers on the edges, and some days I have a tough time telling it to get lost. . . When this happens, my cure is to go back to Psalm 90:14, a verse that’s become a centering prayer. . . “Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love...” . . When I find my satisfaction in the One who loved me long before I cleaned myself up, then I don’t have to scramble trying to win your favor. He is enough for me. And I’ll pray that prayer as many times as needed until the urge to hustle my way to your approval fades and peace in His presence remains.
  • Happy Memorial Day from 5/8 of the Cushatt’s! 🇺🇸
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    Happy Memorial Day from 5/8 of the Cushatt’s! 🇺🇸
  • Faith is trust, not certainty. ❤️
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    Faith is trust, not certainty. ❤️
  • Don’t mind us. We’re just celebrating the last day of school (and surviving almost three months of a global pandemic and reluctant homeschooling) by going to Grandma’s house. SHE HAS A POOL. Under these masks, we’re grinning and patting ourselves enthusiastically on the back. HALLELUJAH, WE DID IT. 💪🏻🎉💥 . . P.S. This is my first time flying since March 8. A couple things I want you to know: (1) @southwestair and @denairport are doing an amazing job keeping everyone safe. Even better, they’re positive, encouraging, and kind. Bravo! (2) Because of this, I feel more safe and protected while traveling than I ever have before. I’m pretty sure my lap tray has never been so clean. (3) It FEELS GOOD to support so many men and women in the transportation industry right now. I know the last months have been so very hard, and the future is uncertain. But I want you to know I’m with you. ❤️ . . P.S. Swipe left to see a pic of security at Denver as of this morning. We made it through in record time. 😉
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    Don’t mind us. We’re just celebrating the last day of school (and surviving almost three months of a global pandemic and reluctant homeschooling) by going to Grandma’s house. SHE HAS A POOL. Under these masks, we’re grinning and patting ourselves enthusiastically on the back. HALLELUJAH, WE DID IT. 💪🏻🎉💥 . . P.S. This is my first time flying since March 8. A couple things I want you to know: (1) @southwestair and @denairport are doing an amazing job keeping everyone safe. Even better, they’re positive, encouraging, and kind. Bravo! (2) Because of this, I feel more safe and protected while traveling than I ever have before. I’m pretty sure my lap tray has never been so clean. (3) It FEELS GOOD to support so many men and women in the transportation industry right now. I know the last months have been so very hard, and the future is uncertain. But I want you to know I’m with you. ❤️ . . P.S. Swipe left to see a pic of security at Denver as of this morning. We made it through in record time. 😉