Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "The earth laughs in flowers." I am inclined to agree with him, since few things in this world bring me the same singular sense of joy as watching a flower use its God-given power to bloom, flourish, and reach toward heaven with its brightly colored petals, as if offering a sign of worship to our Creator.
Read MoreThe topic of anxiety is one that pulls at my heart like no other could. But I’m going to be honest, I don’t suffer from anxiety like most people do. I suffer from the outside looking in. I see people I love being swallowed whole by this epidemic, and I feel so powerless… but am I?
Read MoreAs I grow up, some of the parts of my faith that seemed so simple and clear at first have turned out to be more complex than I initially realized. If you, like me, grew up in a Christian church environment, you probably remember some of the messages and stories that were directed towards children. One that I particularly remember was based on Matthew 5:13, which my very young brain at the time paraphrased as meaning that as “the salt of the earth,” Christians were meant to stand out from the crowd and make the world better. Of course, to a child this seems like such an easy task, but it turns out that standing out from society as a Christian does not happen without intention.
Read MoreThere are two types of desperation that you will face in your life. The first kind of desperation is to feed your own insecurities. This is when you throw yourself at the first guy that pays attention to you because you think he’s all you’ll ever get. This kind of desperation is a lack of faith that will cause you to justify your reasoning and make decisions that can affect you for the rest of your life: from friendships, finances, marriage, kids, and most importantly… your relationship with Christ. This kind of desperation will cause you to give up your dreams and the calling God has placed on your life. You will think it won’t, but it will.
Read MoreThe convenience of a streaming church service can be a double-edged sword. Indispensable to those who cannot leave their bed, but a tool of temptation for the devil. I heard that whisper this morning: Why get up so early? It's cold and you deserve a break, and who will notice you anyway? Whether you go or stay won't make a difference. You're still going to watch the sermon online, it's not a sin to miss one week…
Read MoreI was mid-way through a prayer – I’m not sure I could even call it a prayer – as I was processing my fears and overwhelmed thoughts out loud. As I sat in my car, I couldn’t get my head to feel any clear or relieved no matter how hard I concentrated on giving my burdens to God.
Read MoreSome days we feel like we have it all together, and other days we live life moment to moment. For a teacher, like myself, the end of the year is always an overwhelming time. The only thing I can really compare it to is the last week of college finals. Maybe you’re not a teacher or college student but you probably still have to work around deadlines, work obligations, home life, and maintaining your relationships. All of this can become extremely demanding and approaching these hectic periods is never easy.
Read MoreWhen my sister and I were growing up, we played many sports and took some nice tumbles and hits through the years. My dad’s number one rule: we were not allowed to cry on the field or court. We may have broken that rule a time or two, but we always remembered it. This made us tougher opponents then and, to this day, has made us strong. One of my dad’s favorite sayings about us nowadays is, “I didn’t raise no sissies,” and I love the fact he believes my sister and I are strong women who will not cower and can take on anything.
Read MoreWe all have hopes and desires for our lives, but what if we are in a season where there doesn't seem to be any opportunity for our dreams to be fulfilled? Many of us young women (including myself) are eager to find a husband and have a family. These desires rest deep inside our hearts and long to be fulfilled.
Read MoreThere I found myself once again – the girl who swore up and down that she was done with online dating for good – downloading and trying out another dating app. Why was I compelled to do this again?
Read MoreThe weather is warming, and it is time to kick off our shoes, throw our hands in the air, and celebrate summer, right? For some, that may be the case, for others — specifically those struggling with mental health challenges — the season of sun may not be bringing increased feelings of happiness; the opposition of our minds does not take a summer vacation. You may be one of those people. If so, fear not, because you are never alone (Matthew 28:20).
Read MoreWhen a small, scrappy nonprofit throws an event for 300+ people, things are bound to get a little bananas. In the weeks leading up to the event, our small team was feeling the pressure. Not only was I trying to develop all of the visuals for the evening, but I was also trying to wrap up my own programming with local kiddos. And plan a movie premiere. And make sure that our newly acquired event planner had all of her ducks in a row. And make sure that all of our email campaigns went out in a timely manner. And edit videos to embed in the email campaigns. And sleep. And eat. And just, in general, take care of myself. The day after the event, I went hiking.
Read MoreLove is the unconditional commitment to the well-being of others. It is a gift from God and He has given us the perfect picture of love through the sacrifice of His Son. God’s grace is a result of His love for us. We are called to love one another regardless of our differences or if we feel we have been wronged. We are called to commit ourselves to loving others. This is a hard concept to comprehend sometimes. It’s easy to say that I love people, but when it comes to those who have hurt me, it can be so hard.
Read MoreThis past week, I sat in a courtroom looking into the eyes of the two defendants responsible for breaking into my car, stealing my identity to commit fraud, and causing such stress, anxiety, and fear for me these last few months. While panicking, waiting for the judge to address the courts, I was reminded of the words Jesus prayed on the cross for the very ones crucifying Him, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Read MoreIn August 2016, I had recently come home from a two-month mission trip to New York City. We all (overseas missionaries and domestic missionaries alike) had to return to the organization we went through before they would let us return home. The organization warned me of the reverse culture shock that I would experience when I returned home. I looked around me at all the people who had gone overseas for the summer and thought, “They can’t be talking about me, since I stayed in America this summer.”
Read MoreI was in college the first time I visited the homeless ministry downtown. I felt nervous and awkward, not sure of what to say and not wanting to offend. I would find excuses to be inside the food pantry, stocking the shelves while I talked to the other girls I came with, instead of speaking to those who were receiving the food.
Read MoreI never knew I could deceive myself so well. That I could take such a good look at myself in the mirror and forget to even deal with the condition of my soul. Maybe this sounds deep for a Saturday morning, but after last night, I feel compelled to write this. As though maybe the thoughts that are all disjointed can coalesce into something meaningful. That maybe then, I'll be able to say, “Yes, that's what I'm thinking, that's what I need to change, that's where I'm struggling.” Goodness, I've never looked at myself so clearly as last night.
Read MoreOver the past few years, I have come to learn more about God and also myself. I have learned that I feel the most alive when I am outside and feel the most connected to God when I listen to worship music. I hear God’s voice and am reminded of how He feels about me when I read my Bible. Through my experiences, I feel like God speaks to me most predominantly through interactions with others or through my circumstances. I use this information about myself in order to have a deeper relationship with Christ–not to limit how God can work in my life. God has created each of us differently and, as a result, we connect with Him–just like with others–in various ways.
Read MoreI think the older you get, the more shame is attached to the words "I'm lonely." But I was. I felt like I was drowning. I felt like I was dying. Several years ago, I thought it would start to get better with a new year. At the time, I was starting two new jobs and was involved in multiple volunteer opportunities. I figured somewhere along the way I'd stop feeling lonely. But I didn't. And I started to wonder why.
Read MoreWar is persecution. It is oppressive, it requires commitment to a cause and commitment to a side. War requires commitment even at the risk of death. I think it would be limiting God for us to assume the reason He took them the long way was because He didn’t think they were physically ready for battle. There are enough accounts in the Bible to testify that God can start and end a battle with whatever army He has on hand. So, what’s going on?
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