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Spring and summer are nearly here, although where I live, the last few days have felt like winter is gone for good. With the change of seasons, it reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
We’ve all heard the story of the innkeeper. He’s the bad guy in the story, right? The one we talk about who forced Jesus to be born in a barn. It’s interesting to me that he gets a bad rap. God started showing me how the innkeeper was a good guy in the story. He’s the one who gave what he had. He didn’t have a palace, but he gave what he had. That makes him a hero in the story and why he was given a place in the story.
For years, I was happy being single. Naturally, during my years as a single Christian woman, I had crushes and possibilities, but inwardly, I thought that I was probably one of those Christians meant to be single my whole life. Instead of viewing this as a loss, I would instead get excited to think about all the people I could meet and help and all the trips I could take!
I love that the Bible has so many verses on joy and rejoicing. St Paul who wrote to the Philippians from prison says ‘Rejoice, again I say rejoice.’ When Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and for us his children, he prays that we will enjoy the joy he enjoyed. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?
Today, I want to focus on just one which is Solitude. Last year I did a 9-month program where we learned and got to practice some of the disciplines. We had a solitude retreat. We took time to spend time with God rather than be in the word praying and for a prayer walk. The Bible tells us Jesus even took time to go spend time with God.
A more appealing alternative to finding solstice in nature than my ow futile attempts at solitude when I had young children; in moments when I craved a quiet respite, I would flee to the bathroom or my small closet. I would wonder, in those busy times of child-rearing and child training, if I would ever be able to have a clean and orderly patch of my small world for more than 10 minutes at a time.
Yet, the relief God promises is real, an oasis of eternity, wisdom, respite, bounty, and growth. He is also with us every labored step of the way, unlike Satan, who will leave us alone in our pain, doubts, and confusion. We may perceive our experiences as a desert, but with and through Christ, we will arrive at a place of comfort, peace, and growth.
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lifestyle
Spring and summer are nearly here, although where I live, the last few days have felt like winter is gone for good. With the change of seasons, it reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
I love that the Bible has so many verses on joy and rejoicing. St Paul who wrote to the Philippians from prison says ‘Rejoice, again I say rejoice.’ When Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and for us his children, he prays that we will enjoy the joy he enjoyed. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?
It was the beginning of February; Alana turned the calendar to the new month and felt a tug in her heart. She had started January with lofty goals that she would not join gossip sessions at work, and she had already failed.
As I previously mentioned, I truly enjoyed working as a labor and delivery nurse. It was a true joy to come to work everyday. Through the adrenaline rushes, slow moments, sweet moments, and stories that are engraved in my memory for a lifetime, it was a great job.
Lately, God has been guiding me to out of my comfort zone. And although I haven't actually taken any physical action to leave my comfort zone, God seems to be preparing my mind and my soul for some kind of big life change. And that both excites me and scares me.
In today's world, living a Christian life has become a very gray area - each church and even each individual finds his/her own way to interpret the Bible - from one verse, you can get hundreds of different religions and personal beliefs. So, how do you know which one is right? How do you know if something is a sin? For example, is TV a sin? Movies? Sports? Some say there are, others scoff and say Jesus really doesn't have an opinion on the topic.
Tirzah @ Work
Discipleship
SINGLENESS
Justice + Missions
On Sunday, we had two missionaries visit our church and both of them spoke about the organization they work for, the mission trips they've been on and the miracles they've experienced. And I sat there and listened....and felt incredibly selfish and defensive.
Imagine for a moment, two women, both of similar socioeconomic backgrounds and both unexpectedly pregnant. Today is a scary, life-altering day for them. At 24 weeks of pregnancy, both mothers learned of their baby’s gender four weeks ago, and could have heard their baby’s heart beating 18 weeks ago. The women and babies will undergo procedures performed today by physicians who took the Hippocratic oath to “do no harm.”
Groups like ANM help people receive and access the Bible - in their NATIVE language. Right now, we are partnering to promote them giving Children’s Storybook Bibles to China. These Bibles could end up in the hands of children who have NEVER been exposed to Jesus. How cool is that?
As I watch the news headlines scroll across my television screen, I’m left in a state of helplessness and heartbreak over the lost lives and utter destruction taking place in Ukraine and across the globe. In the last few weeks of praying for the Ukraine/Russian war, the Lord continually reminded me that He is in control and has a purpose and a plan through even this sudden terror.
When we cannot find the words
On this conclusion on how to burn ships and build bridges, I want to burn the ship that your actions are necessary for God’s work. Guess what I learned? All the people, places, and things I thought God needed to complete His will - they were not necessary for GOD to complete what He wanted. Others chose their stories and I miss them dearly. However, I made the choice to follow God to where HE wanted to do a miracle.
Daily encouragement on Instagram
Hagar (meaning flight or forsaken), handmaid of Sarai, acts as a model of hope in the midst of distressing circumstances. Tasked with bearing a son for her mistress Sarai, Hagar was thereafter banished to the desert in what must have felt like an ultimate act of betrayal and unkindness from her mistress.