A person walking along a sunlit path toward the sunrise beneath the words “Created for a Purpose.”
Posted inPurpose, Calling & Work

Created by God—Called for a Purpose

What if your personality, abilities, experiences—and even your trials—are not accidental, but part of how God has prepared you for a unique purpose? Take a few moments to reflect on your story, your dreams, and the next faithful step God may be inviting you to take.
Posted inPurpose, Calling & WorkTags: , , , , , , ,
A person walking along a winding path through changing seasons toward a bright sunrise, symbolizing God’s guidance, purpose, and a life story still being written.
Posted inFaith & Spiritual Growth Purpose, Calling & Work

What If Your Life Has Been Preparing You for This?

“The people you have met. The doors that opened and closed. The joys, disappointments, relationships, losses, and unexpected turns. What if these are not disconnected chapters? What if God has been using your entire story to prepare you for the season you are living right now?”
Posted inFaith & Spiritual Growth, Purpose, Calling & WorkTags: , , , , , ,
Snowflake and sunrise path representing your unique God-given vision and next faithful step.
Posted inLegacy and Finishisng Well Missions & Ministry Purpose, Calling & Work

You Are Special and Unique—But What Is Your Vision?

You know that God created you as someone special and unique. But how do you discover the particular vision He may have for your life—and take the next faithful step? This reflection may help you begin.
Posted inLegacy and Finishisng Well, Missions & Ministry, Purpose, Calling & WorkTags: , ,
Unique snowflakes joining a snowy community, with two snowflakes connected by golden light and the words “Unique—but Not Alone.
Posted inMissions & Ministry Stewardship, Legacy & Finishing Well

You Are Unique—but You Were Never Meant to Follow Jesus Alone

God created you as a unique person—but He never intended you to follow Jesus alone. Reflections on James Bryan Smith’s The Good and Beautiful Community explores how Christ forms us through grace, encouragement, forgiveness, and the shared life of His people.
Posted inMissions & Ministry, Stewardship, Legacy & Finishing WellTags: , , , , , ,
Four adults of different ages walk together along a sunlit path toward a cross, illustrating faithful Christian calling through every season of life.
Posted inPurpose, Calling & Work Stewardship, Legacy & Finishing Well

Finishing Well: Your Calling Has No Expiration Date

When we hear the words finishing well, we may think primarily about old age or the final years of life. But finishing well does not begin when we retire. It begins much earlier—with the decisions we make today.
Posted inPurpose, Calling & Work, Stewardship, Legacy & Finishing WellTags: , , , ,
An older man standing on a rocky shoreline at sunrise, looking across the ocean toward the horizon with a sailboat below, symbolizing God’s calling, courage, and the next faithful step.
Posted inPurpose, Calling & Work

Call to Adventure: Lessons from Moana

Sometimes a story created for families and children asks questions that follow us through every season of life: Who am I? What has God called me to do? And will I have the courage to take the next faithful step? The story of Moana offers a vivid picture of leaving the familiar, accepting responsibility, and discovering that purpose becomes clearer as we move forward.
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An open, highlighted Bible in the foreground with four Christian books behind it, showing that the Bible is the foundation for understanding God’s calling and purpose.
Posted inBooks, Tools & Resources Purpose, Calling & Work

Called, Guided, and Faithful

What has God called you to do—and does that calling continue through every season of life? Drawing wisdom from five Christian books, this reflection explores how we discover God’s purpose, recognize His guidance, and faithfully take the next step He places before us.
Posted inBooks, Tools & Resources, Purpose, Calling & WorkTags: , , , ,
A multicultural, multigenerational group discussing defining moments, faith, and God’s purpose for their lives
Posted inPurpose, Calling & Work

Defining Moments: Discovering God’s Purpose in Your Story

What defining moments have shaped your life—and where might God be leading you next? Whether you are a young adult seeking direction or someone who wants to encourage the next generation, discover how your story, daily choices, and relationships can reveal God’s purpose.
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Older married couple walking hand in hand toward a cross at sunrise, symbolizing God’s providence and eternal hope.
Posted inLife & Relationships Naomi Dassow

Naomi: A Testament of God’s Providential Timing

Was it chance that brought Naomi and me together—or God’s providence? Looking back over 45 years of marriage, PKD, dialysis, faithful love, and loss, I can see how God prepared us for one another. Our story points beyond us to Jesus, who sustains us in love, grief, and eternal hope.
Posted inLife & Relationships, Naomi DassowTags: , , ,
Recreated scene of Naomi and Lucille driving their jeeps through the Appalachian hollers near Buckhorn, Kentucky
Posted inMissions & Ministry Naomi Dassow

From Buckhorn to the World

A prayer spoken during a bitter Wisconsin winter led Naomi to the Appalachian hollers of Buckhorn, Kentucky. There, God gave her more than a nursing position—He gave her a calling, a wise mentor, and a spirit of compassionate service that shaped the rest of her life. What place, person, or unexpected circumstance has God used to shape yours?
Posted inMissions & Ministry, Naomi DassowTags: , , ,
Investing for Eternity. Missions
Posted inBooks, Tools & Resources Missions & Ministry

Perspectives: Discovering God’s Purpose for the Nations—and Our Place in It

Perspectives: Discovering God’s Purpose for the Nations—and Our Place in It. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is a flexible 15-lesson course that helps Christ followers understand God’s global purpose through biblical, historical, cultural and strategic viewpoints. Participants can audit, earn a certificate or pursue academic credit—and may return in later years to revisit selected lessons and hear new instructors.
Posted inBooks, Tools & Resources, Missions & MinistryTags: , , ,
Living Our Faith Where We Are
Posted inFaith & Spiritual Growth

Living Our Faith Where We Are

Many people describe themselves as Christians. For some, the word reflects a deeply held faith in Jesus Christ. For others, it may describe their family background, their values, the church they once attended, or the tradition in which they were raised. There is also another expression being used more often today: Christ follower. The phrase is not meant to create a new religious group or suggest that one person is spiritually better than another. It simply places the emphasis on direction. A follower is going somewhere. A follower is listening, learning, changing, and seeking to walk in the footsteps of the one being followed.
Posted inFaith & Spiritual GrowthTags: , , , , , ,
People walking toward a sunrise on a puzzle path, symbolizing God’s purpose and guidance in life.
Posted inPurpose, Calling & Work

God Has a Unique Purpose for Your Life

Have you ever stopped to consider that there has never been, and never will be, another person exactly like you? Your fingerprints are unique. Your personality is unique. Your experiences, relationships, struggles, joys, disappointments, gifts, and opportunities are unique. But your uniqueness is about much more than personality or background. It is about God’s design and purpose for your life.
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A flock of sheep standing in a peaceful meadow at sunset with a distant shepherd, symbolizing grief, memory, and the Good Shepherd.
Posted inGrief & Healing

Grief, Truth and the Good Shepherd

Tonight I watched a movie called The Sheep Detectives. What a Sheep Detective Movie Taught Me About Grief, Truth, and the Good Shepherd. On the surface, it is a lighthearted and unusual mystery story about a flock of sheep trying to solve what happened to their shepherd. That sounds almost silly at first. Sheep as detectives? A murder mystery told from the viewpoint of a flock? .
Posted inGrief & HealingTags: , , , ,
Two young sisters in the Lord, serving in Appalachia visiting families with their compassion. Nursing visits
Posted inMissions & Ministry Naomi Dassow

Naomi and Lucille: A Shared Life in the Providence of God

Naomi Koerwitz, who later became Naomi Dassow, and Lucille LeBeau were brought together for a season in Buckhorn, Kentucky. They were both nurses. They both had a heart for people. They both found themselves serving in a rural Appalachian community where the needs were many and the work was personal. But their story was more than a story about nursing. It was a story about God’s sovereignty and providence. It was a story about God’s sovereignty and providence. I believe God mysteriously brought two different young Christian women together for that season. They came from different Christian backgrounds and different life experiences, but both had their faith in Jesus renewed early in life. They were Christian sisters in the Lord. Long before either one of them was born, God knew their names. He knew their gifts. He knew the people they would serve. He knew the season when their lives would intersect. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That verse helps me understand Naomi and Lucille’s shared life. God had prepared good works for both of them. For a time, those good works were done together.
Posted inMissions & Ministry, Naomi DassowTags: , , ,
Diverse students walking toward a Christian school in Milwaukee, representing faith, learning, and school choice
Posted inMissions & Ministry Resources

Private Schools, Charter Schools, and Christian Schools:

Parents and grandparents today face more educational choices than many of us grew up with. Years ago, the usual question was simple: “Which public school district do you live in?” Today the conversation often includes public schools, charter schools, private schools, Christian schools, classical schools, online schools, homeschooling, and school choice programs. How to discern God's calling in the process...read on
Posted inMissions & Ministry, Resources
Open Bible, cross, orchestra, and S.H.A.P.E. pieces showing Christian calling and purpose
Posted inMissions & Ministry

Volunteering: Putting the Pieces in Place

Volunteering is one way we “play our instrument” in the great orchestra of life. It is one way we show up where God has placed us, using our gifts, experiences, relationships, and availability for His purposes. When we serve, we are not just filling a slot on a schedule. We may be stepping into one of the good works God prepared in advance for us to do. Sometimes that good work is visible and public. Sometimes it is quiet and hidden. Sometimes it is a word of encouragement, a visit, a meal, a prayer, a ride, a gift, a phone call, or simply being present. But when we fail to show up, something is missing.
Posted inMissions & Ministry
“Open Bible beside a sunrise path, symbolizing trusting God’s wisdom, timing, and guidance through life.” Prayer and faith
Posted inMissions & Ministry Purpose, Calling & Work

Trusting God’s Wisdom: A Guiding Light for Life’s Journey

One of the verses that has guided me over these past few years is: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 That verse has become more than just a Bible verse to me. It has become a quiet anchor. A reminder that God is not late. God is not confused. God is not surprised by the turns in our lives. There are seasons when we do not understand what He is doing. There are moments when life changes faster than we expected. Family changes. Health changes. Loved ones move. Grandchildren grow up. Doors close. New doors open. And sometimes we look back and realize that God was arranging things long before we could see it. That is why Proverbs 3:5–6 has meant so much to me:
Posted inMissions & Ministry, Purpose, Calling & Work