As I sit in the hospital cafeteria typing this, amid the hustle and bustle of the lunch crowd, I feel God’s presence. With the rays of sunshine through the window, I feel God’s presence. As I watch my newborn son on the webcam in his NICU room, I feel God’s presence. When I see my husband hold our son, I feel God’s presence.
Read MoreWe are an image driven society - yes, we've made some improvements lately - women like Mindy Kaling, Melissa McCarthy and the Dove campaigns are beginning to send a more positive message about beauty, image and embracing our differences, but there is still this stigma about what beautiful is and unfortunately it hits the most vulnerable of us the hardest.
Read MoreThough many Christian women would rightly push away feminism, Courtney Reissig believes that despite this, many women have embraced aspects of feminism unknowingly as our culture subtly influences us. The book’s introduction presents this, revealing ways Christian women may have become accidental feminists and giving a brief but important history of the feminist movements. The following chapters are packed with theology and practical advice for living out our roles as women. While rich in depth, readers will still find the book approachable.
Read MoreHey girl, I see you. I know exactly how you are feeling. I have heard the same questions and comments as you. I questioned myself just like you do.
Read MoreWhat is love and how do we know if it is lasting? I have asked myself this question throughout the course of my life. Time and time again, I have been reminded what lasting love looks like by looking in God's Word. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV, I have been able to read, see, and feel what true love looks like. It isn’t just some reading that is popular at weddings and it isn’t just some nice sounding script that looks good on a Pinterest plaque. It is a description of who God is while also being a guidebook for how we are to love. While the first aspect of love in 1 Corinthians is being patient, the second characteristic of love is being kind, and listed right behind these is “love does not envy”.
Read MoreWhat is love and how do we know if it is lasting? I have asked myself this question throughout the course of my life. Time and time again, I have been reminded what lasting love looks like by looking in God's Word. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV, I have been able to read, see, and feel what true love looks like. It isn’t just some reading that is popular at weddings and it isn’t just some nice sounding script that looks good on a Pinterest plaque. It is a description of who God is while also being a guidebook for how we are to love.
Read MoreI’m a single woman currently. No ring on my finger, no man to call my own, yet — if the Lord wills. So I do the best I can to insert myself in third person as I write this article.
Read MoreAs I read through the book of Genesis, my heart would speed up when I came across a woman’s name. I was inspired by faith’s forefathers, but was eager to hear how women participated in establishing our faith foundation.
Read MoreIn Part 3, you read about my amazing mentor and best friend who shepherded me so much in how to be a wife and mother. She taught me how to burn ships and build bridges in so many ways. This section of my journey in leadership has perhaps been one of the most challenging. One where instead of being encouraged by pastors and church leaders and peers, I was frowned upon and continued to be. It’s everybody’s favorite topic - female roles in the church.
Read MoreAbove is a passage from the Bible about what spiritual fruit should be flourishing within you as a Christian. There's the obvious, but no less important, ones like love and joy and peace. Then there's long suffering (which is also known as patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. And then there is gentleness: the one I struggle with the most.
Read MoreGod’s desires for our lives often come in quiet revelations and hushed tones, nestled between dirty dishes and early mornings. It’s an invitation hidden in not-yet-mopped floors and cluttered counter tops. For as long as I can remember, I wanted three things in life: to get married, become a homemaker, and be a writer. Maybe these tiny handfuls of whimsical dreams seem a bit trivial and cliché to you.
Read MoreIn the last five months, I’ve had some pretty big life shifts. My husband and I were married in November, learned we were pregnant (our post-honeymoon little one) with our first child in December, then my husband shipped out for Army training at the beginning of January. It’s been a crazy whirlwind, and in the middle of it all, I’ve been grappling with what it means to care for my home.
Read MoreMany times in the course of my adulthood, I have quoted this familiar verse from Scripture. Before I go any further, I have to talk a little about why this verse says what it says—the context of this verse among the verses preceding and following. The portion of Scripture this is from has the title “Christian Liberty” and Paul, the writer, was talking about seeking the good of others. Most likely, he was speaking of the types of meat people of the Jewish religion could and could not eat, versus what the Greek unbelievers they were with were eating and he was telling them that whatever they did should be for God’s glory—not their own.
Read MoreMore than anything, I wish I could go back in time and leave myself a letter of warning. But every life experience can be a lesson to others, so that “we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).
Read MoreI recently took engagement pictures with my fiancé, and the photoshoot was magical. It was this really special hour that I will treasure. Our photographer sent us some of the highlights, and I loved them — but, ugh, was that really me? Fifteen pounds heavier than I started this year, my jawline was soft, and my hips seemed ridiculously wide. I was struggling to enjoy these images because I couldn’t get past what I considered my physical failings.
Read MoreI’ve said “I love you” to three people. I’ve been heartbroken over two of them. And by the real meaning, I only love one. By that math, that means I’m with the one I really love, right? Not quite. But this isn’t a “woe is me” story about breaking up and losing trust and not believing in love anymore. It’s about forgiving better and loving more.
Read MoreShame is something I have struggled with a fair bit in my lifetime. As with all areas of life, I have tried to find guidance and meaning in the Word - and shame has been no exception. In my journey to being shame-free, I have found verses that have helped me. There are two scriptures in particular that have really been significant in that journey.
Read MoreA few summers ago, in the midst of deep grief and loss, I had hit my breaking point and took an impromptu trip to Orlando to not only visit my friends, but in honesty, to run away from my present circumstances, get some distance, and escape from the things God was calling me to do.
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