Thanks to a certain Netflix show and some conversations with friends, I’ve been going through the things that I own, deciding what things to let go of and what to keep. My home editing has gone slowly because I stop to look at every single thing.
Read MoreSome of my fondest memories from my teenage years were sitting at my grandma’s table after school, having a snack, and chatting with her over a hot cup of tea. Looking back, I so cherish those days that I had with her as, sadly, she passed away not long after I finished high school. She was a woman from another generation and time. She didn’t go to work at a 9-5 job; instead, she stayed at home cooking, cleaning, and caring for her families needs. She handmade her children’s clothes and kept her garden immaculate. She was a homemaker and a dearly devoted one at that, which is something I will always admire about her. She was always my favourite!
Read MoreTo the girl whose stomach sinks when she thinks too much about life… You are seen. You are loved. You are held.
Read MoreMark is the perfect go-to gospel for men. This action-packed account of Christ’s life unfolds like a Hollywood blockbuster. One writer described this rendering as Jesus revealing Himself more by what He does than by what He says. John Mark was quick to get to the point in his factual and focused account. As a female, who happily has a higher word count per day, I prefer John’s gospel. I love its expanded discourses and intricate narrative detail. It would be fair to say it is my gospel go-to.
Read MoreIn Philippians 4, the apostle Paul gives exhortations to the church. He encourages them to stand fast and to have peace and joy in all circumstances, an exhortation that remains relevant for us as believers today. But what about when we are faced with very real and, sometimes, debilitating anxiety? How do we stand fast to God’s peace and continue to rejoice when an anxiety attack urges us to take flight? These are two questions I’ve asked myself and am still pursuing day-to-day.
Read MoreDo you remember the song ‘Where is the Love?’ by The Black Eyed Peas? It was circa 2003. Some of the lyrics include, “Can’t we all just get along?” and “Can you practice what you preachin’?” I wonder if the songwriters ever imagined we would ask the world ‘where is the love?’ louder today than they did fifteen years ago.
Read MoreThere are so many different expressions of faith within the church. Some feel it’s more honoring to God to dress up on Sundays and some feel perfectly fine wearing a pair of jeans and flip flops. You may even have your own opinions on whether it is morally okay to get a tongue piercing or tattoo. There are some things that God makes abundantly clear—like the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ—everything else is disputable.
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So you think you are ready to get married. Then be prepared to guard your heart like never before (Proverbs 4:23). Be obedient to strip down every ounce of pride that hides in the shadows of your heart (James 4:10). Be ready to fight, to be tried, and to be tempted (Hebrews 4:15).
"Does God love us no matter what?" I looked up over the rim of my glasses to see a small child standing in front of my desk. It was "free choice" time in our classroom, and while many of the students had chosen to engage in puzzles, games, and movement activities, a small group had elected to take the children's Bible off of our prayer table and sit quietly on the carpet, flipping through its pages.
Read MoreHave you heard this song before? It’s Hallelujah, written by Leonard Cohen. It’s a song that grips whoever hears it. It’s a disillusioned love song. But, there’s something about its lyrics that speak into something that we have all experienced but never share.
Read MoreHave you ever felt tired and worn out, but nothing seems to quench your thirst for rest? Imagine, you are in a desert and your mouth is aching for a drop of water. You see an oasis in the distance, but as you move closer, you realize your mind was playing a trick on you--a hallucination. Something looked like your solution (and for a bit it was) but your thirst was never satisfied. Sometimes we can feel this way about rest. We continue to look for long term solutions, but become disappointed with the momentary idea of satisfaction as we realize our coping mechanism was only giving us an illusion of rest.
Read MoreI wrote My Inner Child two years ago. Poetry is an outlet for my pain. Writing, although difficult, helps get pieces of my brain onto the page so that I have more clarity on my struggles. Little did I know that this is where I would continually meet with our God. Jehovah has used this poem as a place holder in my life. He has been whispering gently to me, “Darling, we are coming back to this place of pain and I will go through it with you.”
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why certain things happen to other people but not you? Have you ever been put into a situation with others where you felt the need to be the absolute best? Or maybe you have felt like your options were limited, and if that’s the case, you always seem to end up with the short straw. Well sister, let me just say - I hear you! There were plenty of times where I have felt these feelings and it is not only damaging to the soul and your perspective on life, but also to the understanding of who God really is and the abundance he has for us.
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Ruthie Allen is a friend, wife, mother, entrepreneur, and photographer. She began the Return to Rest Retreat in 2014, understanding that her many titles complimented her, but that they were not what her identity was built on. Return to Rest is a retreat for ALL women rooted in finding true rest through Jesus Christ. Ruthie is excited to continue to share this message of rest with others as she facilitates this retreat in a cozy cabin in New Hampshire.
I have found myself thinking a lot about my identity lately, not just In a Spiritual way, but in rethinking how I view myself based on how the world tells me I should be viewed. For instance, when I introduce myself I have a really hard time just saying my name. I love when I am in a big group of people and you have to tell your name, what you do, a fun fact, or something else that tangibly explains a little bit of who you are as a person to the people you are meeting.
Read MoreWhen I was in high school, one of my friends gave me a beautiful pink mug with the words from Philippians 4:8 written on it. I loved it as soon as I saw it. This gift has turned out to be one of my absolute favorite mugs. It traveled with me to college and, later on, to my first solo apartment. The pink mug has survived countless moves, and I still drink out of it at least once a week.
Read MoreI love fall! The minute I feel that slight chill in the air and I start seeing pumpkin everything, I can’t help but get excited. Sweaters, boots, chili, bonfires, apple cider--I love it all! But there’s something more significant about this season that draws me in every year. Fall can actually be a great reminder of God’s goodness, even in the toughest times.
Read More“Are you comfortable with just a cross on a necklace or do you want a cross you can cling to?” Let that sink in. I recently read Wreck My Life by Mo Isom (which I highly recommend) who asked this powerful question. So which one are you comfortable with? Do you use the Bible for inspirational quotes to post on social media or for God to speak to you through? Are you asking Jesus to only lavish you with blessings or to carry you when blessings are given and taken away?
Read MoreGrowing up in a conservative, Slavic community, I was one of the few women to go to college and graduate, and the only one who graduated from law school. One time, a few guys from my church told my grandmother, “With one degree, maybe one of us would have married her, but with two, no one will.”
Read MoreI write this in the middle of deep silence. A sense of emptiness finds me, and I know it is not emptiness. It’s an ache. I work eight to twelve hour days, which is normal for most, and I have tried to shove too much in between. I finally found an hour to myself, and I wanted to cry. I cry a lot. When all the activity and bustle I have organized for myself no longer swirls around me, I am left to stare at all I have swept under the rug.
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