-
Ordinary Woman
You do not claim an extravagant education, maintain a noteworthy career, or manage a successful startup. You are an ordinary woman who does ordinary things.
-
A Bedtime Prayer
Because he is trustworthy, you can lay your head on your pillow and your fears at his feet.
-
You Need to Know
Recently, I received the opportunity to contribute as a Guest Blogger to the NorthStar Women’s Network where I wrote on the importance of growing in our comprehension of God’s love. Here is an excerpt: In the context of mutual relationships, love matures in tandem with intimate knowledge and a growing understanding of one another. The cycle works a bit like this: knowing sparks love, love inspires greater knowing, greater knowing produces even deeper love, and so forth. This ever-deepening cycle builds a healthy relationship. However, in the context of a Christian’s relationship with God, love and knowledge work together differently. Father God fully knows His children and loves them infinitely…
-
Gentleness
I wrote this family devotional for the Family Fruit Challenge organized by Laurie Christine. You can find additional devotionals for the challenge at www.familyfruitchallenge.com. Have you ever heard someone described as a “gentle giant”? A gentle giant refers to someone who is big, strong, or powerful, but chooses to be kind and gentle towards other people. Instead of showing off his or her own strength, a gentle giant is careful to consider the needs of other people by acting in a way that makes them feel safe and loved. By taking the time to think about what helps others feel safe and loved, a gentle giant controls his or her…
-
Jesus Understands
Would it surprise you to hear that Jesus did not go to the cross exuding emotional confidence? In The Reason for God, Pastor Tim Keller observes that “Jesus did not face his approaching death with anything like the aplomb and fearlessness that was widely expected in a spiritual hero,” Rather, Keller describes Jesus “as profoundly shaken by his impending doom.” Gospel Accounts Mark describes Jesus as being “crushed with grief to the point of death” before going on to record the way Jesus pleaded with the Father (Mark 14:34, NLT). “Please take this cup of suffering away,” Jesus pleads (v. 36). Luke shares that “[Jesus] was in such agony of…
You May Also Like
You Need to Know
-
“Boys Will Be Boys” and Other Lies
“He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction…it’s a temptation for him he wanted to eliminate.” Capt. Jay Baker, USA TODAY When I was fifteen years old, I took my first job as a waitress at a family-owned Italian restaurant. I enjoyed working long hours over my Summer vacation and worked many nights and weekends during the school year throughout my high school career. It was a busy restaurant, and I spent nearly every moment on my feet. One night a man came into the restaurant with his wife and teenage son. He was a regular, and I recognized him. His wife never seemed happy, and something…
You May Also Like
Know. Love. Serve.
-
Notice and Do
Recently, Poiema Visual Arts invited me to share some of my heart on utilizing our strengths on their blog. Here’s a brief excerpt of my article: When it comes to contributing to the world around us, the opportunities are truly endless. One might notice a need to educate and equip others. In turn, that person might just be a fantastic school teacher, professor, or mentor. Another might notice a need for leadership and pursue a life of public service or pioneer a movement promoting healthy change. Yet, another might have a unique knack for systematizing and thrive in a career of logistical engineering. Still, others notice fresh ideas, see opportunities…
-
Know. Love. Serve.
My last two blog posts have invited you to keep growing in your knowing of God and explained how this process overlaps with the concept of spiritual maturity in the life of the believer. Furthermore, I provided some practical steps for this process. Recently, I was given the opportunity to sit in this reality a little longer by speaking on Deuteronomy 6:1-9. (Start at second 46 in the video below to watch this message). In this passage, the children of Israel have taken their seats on the banks of the Jordan River and are listening to Moses share a final exhortation before making their way into the Promised Land. Of…
You May Also Like
“Boys Will Be Boys” and Other Lies
-
Part 2: Keep Growing in Your Knowing
In my last blog post, I explained that Knowing is a Scriptural theme and pointed out how it often overlaps with the concept of spiritual maturity in the Apostle Paul’s writing. Furthermore, I shared passages of Scripture that reveal the way Paul aligns spiritual growth with an ever-increasing knowledge of God and His truth (Romans 12, Philippians 2-3, Colossians 3, and Ephesians 3). My post concluded: If we who “know God” want to mature in our relationship with God, we will need to increase in our knowledge of God. In other words, the spiritually healthy life is one where a believer keeps growing in his or her knowing. The Pitfalls…
You May Also Like
Keep Growing in Your Knowing
-
Keep Growing in Your Knowing
Have you ever thought about what it really means to know? To know could refer to intellect. We can know information. To know could refer to recognition. We can know what is right, wrong, good, or bad. To know can contain a layer of influence. What we know affects our behavior. To know could refer to relationship. There are people we know, then, there are people we know. To know can refer to a degree of intimacy. It’s the type of knowing that produces confidence and safety through personal, up-close experience. When we stop to unpack what it really means to know, we notice the way its various meanings play…
You May Also Like
Part 2: Keep Growing in Your Knowing
-
Encouragement: World Mental Health Day 2020
Did you know that today is World Mental Health Day? Everyone who struggles with their mental health has their own unique story. In fact, just today I had the privilege of getting a snapshot from a few different people… One person was diagnosed with clinical depression just this week. He mentioned that he didn’t even realize the way he’d slipped into survival mode until his doctor called it out. Another shared his struggle with bipolar disorder and revealed he recently came out of an episode. Another told of his ongoing battle with PTSD as the result of his years in combat. Yet another shared she’s starting therapy due to current…
-
Stories of Black and White
I remember the first time a Black man walked through the doors of my childhood church. He walked in late…really late. Actually, the sermon started to wrap up by the time he took his seat in the very back. As he later explained, he had spent most of the service out front pacing. See, he was just passing through the area and was trying to decide if his desire to attend Bible Study that evening outweighed his fear of walking into an unfamiliar church in a predominantly White area. He just didn’t know what to expect or if his presence would be well-received. I couldn’t have been more than 10…
-
I Can’t Parent Like That
My guess is we’re all getting a front row seat to our natural strengths and weaknesses in the way we parent these days. I know I am. After all, my rhythms have been turned on their head and my responsibilities multiplied. From the way I accomplish work to the way I connect with my family, I’m flexing myself into a new way of being alongside them. The process is hardly straight-forward and rightfully unique to each of our families. At the end of the day, however, we get to rest in the assurance that God knew just what He was doing when He made us parents. He knew where we’d…
-
Who Are We When People Hurt?
“My bubbly, extroverted children have fallen into a low-grade depression.” “My special needs child is struggling to adjust to our new normal. It’s emotionally exhausting for everyone.” “My kids are having nightmares – no one is sleeping through the night.” “My surgery keeps being bumped back because it’s seen as ‘non-essential’.” “My job was furloughed, but I’m not sure if my company will even make it.” “My company reduced my hours, again. If this keeps happening, I will have no way of paying my bills.” “My aunt died yesterday.” “The doctor just called to tell us there is no possibility of my cousin surviving.” These are real-life stories I’ve heard…
-
Fostering Friendships
“You’re the only one that really knows me here.” At this point, she had already been attending our church for nearly two years. She even followed through by participating in a Sunday morning small group that met weekly. “I don’t usually share my story with everyone I meet; but, you’re really the only one that’s ever even asked anything about me. People have said ‘hi,’ they’ve smiled, told me it was nice to see me. But that’s where it has stopped.” I felt personally touched by her honesty but remained inwardly broken for her lack of genuine community. Broken because I knew she hadn’t entirely sat on the fence…
-
Progress not Perfection
Recently, one of our kids ended a semi-lengthy hiatus from a treasured gaming device. Our original decision to take a break from the device was an attempt at creatively dealing with this child’s struggle to obey with a good attitude...
-
Brokenness: Our Worth In Christ
The reality of our brokenness can quickly become a point of overwhelming discouragement. If we are not careful, we approach our failures as a mere means to gauge our own self-worth and allow it to dictate our identity...
You May Also Like
You Need to Know
