by Garris Elkins | Aug 31, 2017 | Courage, Creativity, Deliverance, Forgivness, Future, Kingdom of God, Obedience, Peace, Pride, Redemption, Restoration, Spiritual Warfare, Transition
Along the ridgeline above me, I saw the remains of an old barbwire fence. Only a few of the posts survived. Those that did were pockmarked with holes the work of decay and weather. On the north-facing side of a solitary post grew a layer of green moss. Tacked to the...
by Garris Elkins | Aug 19, 2017 | Change, Courage, Creativity, Faith, Favor, Fear, Future, Gifts
We just came through one of the hottest weeks on record here in Oregon. Each night it remained warm enough to walk outside in a t-shirt. Yesterday, as I sat in the early morning hours writing, the heater came on. It surprised me because it was not cold outside. Jan...
by Garris Elkins | Aug 18, 2017 | Creativity, Eternity, God, Worship
Per NASA (1999 data), in the last 5,000 years, the Earth has experienced 11,898 eclipses. 3,173 have been total. Enjoy the eclipse event but avoid letting it Y2K your life. It is a very noteworthy natural event that is part of life in our solar system. However, never...
by Garris Elkins | Aug 13, 2017 | Creativity, Discipleship, Father, Giving, Honor, Hope, Identity, Mercy, Obedience, Redemption
My father was a contractor. He built houses. Most of my summers were filled with manual labor on his job sites. My brother and I were my father’s backhoe. I spent many a hot summer day down in a ditch with a pick and shovel. Our crew was a constantly changing group...
by Garris Elkins | Jul 20, 2017 | Courage, Creativity, Destiny, Discipleship, Gifts, Resurrection
There are a few things that will elicit an emotional, gut-wrenching and sometimes sobbing joy in me. This happens when an unnoticed underdog rises to a place of freedom and victory before an audience of doubters. It can be a timid singer on a talent show stage who...
by Garris Elkins | Jul 10, 2017 | Change, Courage, Creativity, Holy Spirit, Transition, Truth, Wisdom
The answer to life’s most complicated issues is normally found in a place of simplicity. This simplicity is available even if you live in the midst of a cluttered calendar or find yourself in a time of life where the demands placed on you by other people feels like...
