Is this another ‘single girl post?’ It is if you make it one; chances are, I have felt exactly the same way you have. This is pretty personal for me to write and I am somewhat reluctant to do it, but I am going to anyway because you may need to hear this.
Read MoreThere are usually two extremes we go to when making choices: we either pick too quickly, without thought or become paralyzed with the fear of making the wrong choice. Before we move any further, let’s clarify the type of decisions we are talking about today.
Read MoreI vividly remember driving across state lines, wistfully looking out the window of the car that was packed to the brim with my belongings, daydreaming about how my life was about to change. I had packed up the things I would need, and the things that meant the most to me, and was moving across the country to begin my first year of college. The world was about to see me as an adult, and I wasn't completely sure of what that would mean for me and the relationships I had with the people I held nearest to my heart – including God. But I knew that if I loved and trusted Him the way I said I did, that He would remain with me, even in this new chapter of my life.
Read MoreI remember the day that the Lord caused me to notice teenagers through new eyes. Before this day, I knew them to be loud and intimidating (at least to me). It was at a summer church activity, several years ago, an event called Street Reach that my older two boys were attending. They spent five nights at a school campus, giving Bible clubs (similar to VBS) Monday through Friday. Graham and Drew were the second day in, and Drew was involved in a wreck. I don’t remember all the details, but I knew I had a nervous son, and he needed his mom. Two days afterwards, they had a share-night, and he invited me to come; my friend’s daughter invited her to come as well.
Read MoreThere is a voice I know too well. An acquaintance whose presence is as loyal as a friend. I’ve grown so accustomed to her message that some days I don’t even recognize it. I wake up to her subtle nudges, pulling me out of bed to obey her demands and be productive. She lingers in my aimless scrolling through Instagram and shouts at me in my work throughout the day.
Read MoreSeveral years ago, I had a conversation with someone that I heard was saying hurtful things about me behind my back. It was something I’d heard several times over the years and had already addressed it once previously before. But here we were again and I knew I needed to address this situation.
Read MoreWhoa! Where did that come from? Has it ever happened to you? Sometimes words come out of our mouths with little to no thought behind them. This has definitely happened to me, especially when I’m making an effort to be direct and deliver a clear message to someone, my words aren’t as gentle as they should be. God has been showing me the power of words through Scripture and how their misuse can be detrimental to others.
Read MoreWe touch our Bibles with the same hands that touch what, in God’s eyes, is someone else’s husband or wife. We worship God with the same mouth we flatter and flirt with, and sometimes, during prayer as we stand in the presence of the Holy One, the guys think about how good she looks in that skirt and we ladies daydream of what it would be like to be married to him.
Read MoreAs the young people in my life recently discovered dating, watching them couple off has left my heart burning with one overarching piece of advice. This is not a purity post (although that is an important discussion as well!). No, this is something much more important. This is about a holy God and the heart He has for His people, especially the youth, because I’ve gotten a glimpse of the Lord’s heart for the next generation, and y’all, if we can walk before Him with a pure heart and love Him above all else, what God can do through us and in us is without boundaries!
Read MoreThis summer, I was laying out by my parent’s pool one evening and I saw two shooting stars within a span of five minutes. I smiled and wished upon those comets, just for the fun of it. There’s a part of me that will always have a child’s imagination and, for the duration of a story, I’m willing to pretend there’s a Neverland or whatever you wish upon a star really does come true. But does it really?
Read MoreIf you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know how much I love studying the Bible and talking about what God is teaching me through His word. There are a few tools I use almost daily in my quiet time that I wanted to share with you.
Read MoreA trip to the grocery store this time of year is an opportunity to witness balance at its finest; families are often seen roaming the aisles together, putting boxes of crayons and boxes of graham crackers into their shopping carts in equal quantities. The start of the school year is right around the corner, but that doesn't mean that there still isn't time for one more camping trip, one more opportunity for quiet and reflective family time, and one more new memory of summer before the dinner table becomes a site for homework help and weeknights get busier with the start of after-school sports and clubs.
Read MoreIt’s a simple question: “Where are you from?” The question seems innocent enough, but I never know what people are actually asking. From where did you drive to arrive in this place? What does your license say? Where did you grow up? Where do you call home? North Carolina. Tennessee. Arkansas. My car.
Read MoreI’m sick, and it’s late. I came home and my room is still a wreck. I manage to hang up my jacket. This is fine. I’ve been so jetlagged and tired the last week and a half, I haven’t worked out. The mirror shows awkward curves reforming. I force myself through a short workout, but my sore throat reminds me that I need rest. This is fine. I have a meeting in the morning, an article due tomorrow, a presentation to create, and a stack of thank you notes to write. There are so many hats on my head, I’m no longer certain which hat was there in the first place. This is fine.
Read MoreGrowing up there was one thing my dad had to tell me more than he should have: “Allison, you need to think before you speak.” My stubborn and prideful self was too focused on how I felt and getting what I had to say off my chest. Meanwhile someone was on the other end of my words, feeling the effects of my emotions.
Read MoreToday, Christians view hardship as a “season” that will come and go. In order to be victorious Christians, we need to reframe our thinking by accepting that most of our lives will be hard for one reason or another. I’m writing this as a gentle yet sober reminder to today’s Christians: We are in the trenches of spiritual warfare. We may not see it as we go about our school schedules, work routines, and summer holidays, but we are in the thick of it. By deciding today, if we will use our moments to the glory of God or the glory of self, we are declaring whose side we are on.
Read MoreAs women, many of us fall into the trap of believing that we can multitask our way through life. It’s easy for us to finish up some work with the TV humming in the background, talk to our friends while scrolling through social media, and workout while listening to the latest audiobook. For a lot of areas of life, multitasking seems like a great solution. It enables us to be able to get a lot done in a short amount of time and to cross more and more tasks off our never-ending to-do lists.
Read MoreMy plane had just landed, and I was already quoting lines from ‘Dumb and Dumber.’ I was in Colorado and ready to explore. Rocky Mountain National Park was at the top of my list of things to do. When I arrived at the park, I had my hike to Sky Pond all mapped out and was ready to go.
Read MoreI go to a really small church that geographically sits on a line between “gentrified” and “poverty.” The vision for this body is to reflect the kingdom of heaven by celebrating diversity of wealth, race, and life experiences. A year ago, this body was meeting in a house church. Ten months ago, a barber shop. The body has grown and shifted and changed over the past year, but it has been a joy to watch.
Read MoreHoly. I don’t understand this piece of God. I cannot wrap my mind around it. He is holy. Holy means He is intensely good, righteous, radiant, and anything that is not holy will be obliterated by His presence. I don’t visualize Him as holy. It’s easy to see Him as present, or good, or faithful, but not holy. This last week my eyes were fixated to the blinding holiness of God, and my absolute unworthiness to approach Him on my own.
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