How ironic that my last blog was titled “She Did the Best She Could.” It has been a hot minute since I have sat down to blog. I am doing the best I can. Truthfully, I have some other pressing things I should be doing right now, but I couldn't resist. I am just finishing a two-part sermon series called “Pants on Fire,” designed to destroy the lies that we believe about God and ourselves.
Read MoreMother's Day is a couple of days away. It is on my radar for obvious reasons. I am blessed with a mother and mother-in-law who are both wonderful to us. Chris and I want to make sure we prioritize spending time with them and honoring them, but it is also on my radar because I am preparing a Mother's Day message I will teach at One City Church.
Read MoreMother’s Day is on my mind. Depending on your journey, it might be on your mind too, or the furthest thing from it. Holidays are a weird thing. Charles Dickens might have been thinking about holidays when he said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Read MoreAt the beginning of the week, I started my goodbye to Highpoint. I pray that for many others who have been hurt and stuck in their grieving process that this may help you heal any remaining places. Almost five years later, I am pretty tired of the topic. Still, at the same time, I continue to meet people who have struggled first with the pain of Highpoint’s crisis and then the pandemic, leaving people needing closure and healing to reignite their faith in God and His family.
I pick up with the third thing I learned….
Read MoreThe Conlee world has been a whirlwind for a while now – a tornado first, then a desert, and now a whirlwind. Somehow through the tornado and desert, I remain connected with the world through my blog and social media. The whirlwind stage pretty much brought that to a screeching halt. Maybe soon. These next few weeks are a start.
So I jolt you into my little world recently. I sat in our One City Church staff meeting early in the day. As we previewed the calendar, we discussed my upcoming teaching on Mother’s Day and potentially writing some blogs leading up to that. I added both to my To Do List.
Read MoreI paused blogging for a minute. Okay, and more than a minute. But I recently had the opportunity to teach a series entitled Trust Issues that got my fingers itching to share some words with my friends.
Read MoreI've asked that question with various inflections and emotions throughout my life. With tears of confusion, I uttered, "What is God doing?" It is the familiar "Why me?" dressed up a little bit. I have also had the opportunity to ask that same question with a sense of wonder. And then sometimes I find myself right in the middle with a big 'ol question mark as I shake my head wondering how a situation will turn out. (Insert adult children, anyone?)
Read MoreAfter two weeks of gut-wrenching news, Memphis is still catching her breath. This beautiful city has felt torn and exposed in the national news headlines. For some, this is just one more reason why Memphis is a city where people exit. It is why companies don't come, and our grown children don't stay. You hear it all the time—no need to repeat it.
Read MoreTwenty-eight years ago, a man began to disciple my husband. With it came an entire list of recommended readings. It makes me laugh as I think about it because Clyde, the discipler, was all about the Bible being the only curriculum… which it was. Yet, digesting powerful books about revivals and God's movement through history was important, too. I also remember that he liked poetry, and then there was this random and oddly titled book in the stack, Hines Feet in High Places.
Read MoreI wish life were just the warm and fuzzies, don’t you? Sweat pants, fuzzy socks, fireplaces crackling, beach waves rolling gently in the background with a warm tea in my hands. Unfortunately, that is not my reality 99.9% of the time. Any one?
Read MoreIt gives me great joy to be blogging again. I pray that what the Lord showed me through John 20 will fill you with hope and faith.
If you read part one of "The Comeback" last week, you got a chance to remember that our Jesus showed up to His disciple, Thomas, for an extraordinary VIP encounter. Thomas missed seeing Jesus when Jesus first showed Himself to the other disciples, and even though all of the other disciples shared about the encounter with Thomas, it was not enough for him.
Read MoreWell, I love words, and after eight straight years of blogging, I have missed blogging for the last 11 months. So when I recently taught a sermon entitled "The Comeback," it felt like the right time to pick up my love of writing, too. I have missed you, my friends, and I hope that an occasional note dropped in your inbox will be a pleasant discovery. I will aim for a weekly deposit but don't hold me to it. My life is a little crazy these days.
Read More
