Writing His Word across our hearts is the only way it’s going to be lived out in our lives.
Women of the Bible: Abigail
Growing up I learned that God wants us to be kind, love one another, and respect authority. Somehow along the way I incorrectly adapted that message into that I should not “ruffle any feathers” and instead I should seek to make “peace” in all situations. I became very shy aside from the rare occasion I simply could not stop myself from speaking out against injustice, but even then it was often in a whisper tone
Women of the Bible: Ruth
It’s late Spring and the sun is high in the Israeli sky. Ruth bends down to collect pieces of barley dropped by the harvesters. She is a foreigner in this land and a childless widow. Fortunately, Israel has provisions in its law made for people like her, a woman with little lot in life, so she can glean in this field, and at least she won’t starve. When she returns home, the only one to greet her will be her mother-in-law, Naomi. A woman who too has seen loss: a husband and two sons. Naomi now desires to be referred to as Marah, which means bitter.
Women of the Bible: Jochebed & Miriam
As a mother of two, I am inspired by this important reminder that children are a gift from God. Every day that we wake up, when we watch them take their first steps or wave goodbye at the bus stop, we are slowly releasing them into a world of overwhelming waters. We may not be facing the deadly orders of a Pharaoh coming after our children, but there are everyday injuries, natural disasters, and school shootings in our broken world. Try as we may, we cannot protect ourselves or our children from every harsh reality of this fallen world. We cannot possibly avoid every ailment or prevent every danger.
With Me or Without Me: Inviting God into Your Daily Life
Change can be an exciting venture, but it can also cause stress and uncertainty while you’re working through the fog. There are times when my brain is overwhelmed, and time appears to be flying by without much progress being made. And in another moment, I’m being blown away by the amazing ways God is moving. When the impossible is looming ahead and we invite God into the conversation/situation, we experience His power and His solution to our problems.
Pro-life is Pro-choice
The pro-abortion movement is busy screeching at the top of it’s lungs “My body. My choice.” The irony is that the pro-life movement is pro-choice too. We just disagree on who gets a choice and when that choice occurs.
Delighting in His Presence
Last spring I took a spiritual formation class during my last semester of undergrad. Honestly, I expected it to be a breeze. I was used to academics. I knew how to study well, maximize my time, and give professors what they wanted. When I saw that we were assigned a different spiritual discipline to practice and journal about every week, I was prepared to go through the motions and check off any box necessary for me to succeed (I had severe senioritis!)
But what I didn’t expect was a loving but convicting lesson from the Spirit about my tendency to do all the things (prayer, worship, Bible reading) to feel as though I was succeeding in my relationship with God rather than to simply bask in his presence.