Waiting is hard, even if you are generally a patient person, and patience is a fruit of the spirit which makes it even harder. The Bible tells us to be patient, it’s not easy to be patient. A Biblical waiting season is an active and purposeful period of trusting God, cultivating patience, and deepening one's faith.
Read MoreSo, what keeps you going? How do you know and see and feel? Why do you live and eat and sleep? For everything that is ever done, there is purpose. Nothing happens through coincidence. In all of this, we all hunger for something: purpose, power, to be loved, or do something that fills the hole in your heart. You were made for something so much more: to be restored in your relationship with God as Eve and Adam were in the garden of Eden with God face to face.
Read MoreI have been single for the better part of fifteen years; in the first ten years, I felt that my interests and desires were being withheld from me. I wanted to get married at eighteen. I wanted to start having babies at twenty. Notice that was what I wanted. It seems God has different plans.
Read MoreI could continue on and on, but wanted to highlight, while race isn’t the main thing, it’s something that shaped my own life very personally. And, in my choice, of people who influence my life online - you’ll see that continues today.
Read MoreUltimately, we all find ourselves in changing seasons as we navigate life’s trials. May we find in this fall season time to clear the refuse from summer’s harvest, the deadened stalks and dried-up grasses.
Read MoreThe sunflowers need the “sun” in order to grow bigger, stronger/taller, and to thrive in the field. We, as believers, need the “Son” for the same reasons. God, like that farmer, has placed or “planted” each one of us in a specific area/location or “field” for this very reason (Colossians 2:7, 2 Peter 3:18, Proverbs 16:9).
Read MoreThe fact is that there are numerous things we should use daily to keep our physical bodies protected and functioning well. Yet, these things are all temporary, which is why, of all the things we do daily, reading the Bible, spending time with God, and worshiping Him are more important than anything else. Only these things are eternal, and only these things are truly trustworthy and give protection and purpose.
Read MoreIt is humbling and astounding to know that God’s voice speaks to us at particular moments with specific messages and that He desires us to hear Him, whether speaking loudly or quietly. Not only that, but because of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, He can and will speak to us in various ways through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and others.
Read MoreThe definition of spiritual maturity is the ability to view things from God's perspective and to have a Biblical lens. The Bible tells us not to just listen to what people say, but to seek God’s words and pray to see how God Himself would handle a situation
Read MoreI suppose there are many of us who, at times in our lives, have questioned whether or not we took the right path. The varying degrees of this thought pattern are multifaceted and can range from “I wish I would have done such and such a thing” to “Where would I be if I had made this choice?” We treat our life as if it’s a cosmic “Choose Your Own Adventure,” forgetting about the variables that surrounded us at that time, variables that most certainly swayed us one way or another.
Read MoreThe Panama sun beats down on the cracked ground, even in the mid-morning. I have never been out of the country in my nineteen years of life, but here I find myself in the suburbs of Panama City, serving with global missionaries and other students from my college.
Read MoreWe can experience true rest when we spend time in God's presence praying or reflecting on his Word. God wants to give us rest; he wants us to have peace in his presence.
Read MoreI 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.”
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