I love birthdays. Each birthday reminds me of God’s grace and love for me. A time to thank God for his protection.
When I was 20 years old, I was doing my Bachelor of Architecture. I went with my class of 22 second-year students on a 10-day tour to towns and cities along the west coast of India. We started in Chennai where we boarded the train.
Read MoreI have a confession to make: I am a perfectionist. Not a minor perfectionist either, liking things done well and making deadlines on time. I am the kind of person who literally does not know when to stop, because things could always be better. I could always be better. Do more. Get more done in a day.
Read MoreIt takes great love to heal and die for sinners. But Jesus did it, and He did it because He is love. His love is kind, protective, and hopeful- it has a desired and accomplished end. And that, my sisters, is good news.
Read MoreAt its simplest level, being a daughter means belonging to a family - a girl or woman in relation to her parents. However, connotatively, being a daughter means not only belonging to someone, either by nature or adoption but being accepted. Beloved, not for what you’ve done, but simply for who you are.
Read MoreSomeone once pointed out something interesting about this passage of Scripture. Shiphrah and Puah are mentioned by name. The King of Egypt is not. Do you know why?
Read MoreI lean my head back, spread out my arms and legs and allow the water to softly suspend me on the surface. I’m not swimming, forcing forward motion, or treading water, barely keeping my head above water. I’m floating: free to rest, be still and simply be. I welcome the weightlessness and wonder why I don’t float more often. Floating, in the water and out in the world, both takes faith and renews my faith. And I’m beginning to believe faith is a float.
Read MoreI remember how cold it was that day: lower thirties, typical Chicago weather. Although it was November, snow had not yet kissed our city streets. “All you need to do is be cool. Just walk into that restaurant, smile and ask for an application. That’s it. Just ten minutes of bravery. The worst they’re going to say is no, and if they do, you can try Olive Garden next.”
Read MoreThis year I decided that I needed to start my New Year’s resolutions a little bit early. Like a lot of people, my activity level has significantly decreased over the past year, partly due to not going to the gym and partly due to no longer walking around a school for seven hours a day.
Read MoreI didn’t want to be here again, but here I am. Struggling to make sense of anything. Fighting to break out of the clouds that seem to surround me, heart and mind. It is disheartening. It’s frustrating. It’s hard to accept. Sometimes, our reality doesn’t look like we want it to.
Read MoreIn the midst of unspeakable tragedy, there begins the floodgates of memories—the beautifully painful memories of those we did not have enough time with, whose lives were cut short, but also memories to create anew. A friend’s recent Facebook post captured my attention about the cycle, brevity, and finality of life, and how quickly life can be altered. How beautifully it can be created, and how it can be violently taken away
Read MoreWhat does it mean to navigate the world solely on your trust in God and on your belief in the unseen? What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?
Read MoreI remember it more than I like. I have a story almost exactly identical to this. I was with a huge group of friends, who are so loving and welcoming. They’re not intimidating or judgmental. They’re the opposite - silly and encouraging.
Read MoreDo you know who is saying this? It’s surprising how many confessing Christians have never heard this scripture. This was spoken by Jesus Christ, the one our entire faith rests upon. In the slew of social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, magazines, and literature, his name sometimes gets cut out. God has a much larger platform presence than Jesus Christ.
Read MoreI was in Southeast Asia when the Coronavirus was first beginning to spread in January. There was something apocalyptic to each day, as my friends and I put masks over our faces before we left the apartment in the morning. Our translator kept asking store owners for hand sanitizer and face masks, but most were out or selling them for outrageous prices.
Read MorePersistent prayer doesn't change God. It changes us. Because it takes everything to keep showing up at His throne with the same request day after day, and more faith than you think you have to keep believing He will answer in His time.
Read MoreMy husband and I have a dream and a vision. Something we’ve prayed about, dreamed about, and talked about for hours on end. We were moving forward in the initial steps of this God-given dream with support from the right people, which included confirmations all along the way that God was about to fulfill what He placed in our hearts.
Read MoreSometimes, faith in God seems so amazingly complicated. Have you ever paused for a moment and wondered if you were really leading a Christian life? I have and, even worse, there have been times after these kinds of pauses when I wasn’t so sure my belief was strong enough.
Read MoreHe sat at a family-sized table alone, pouring all of his attention into the study Bible opened before him. I imagined that the baked potato sitting at his side grew colder by the second and wondered if it felt neglected by his lack of interest in it. I sat enjoying my own meal and as I watched his fixed attention on the wrinkled pages before him, my curiosity only grew. The questions became a pile in my head and before I knew it my two legs were bee-lining me to the lonely man. It was only as I stood before him that I realized I had no plan.
Read MoreIf you see me at work in the month of December, you will find me wearing a Christmas sweater and listening to Christmas music in my office. But let's be honest, I have been listening to Christmas music since October. Yes, I am one of those people. I love the way Christmas, and everything that goes with it, makes me feel better.
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