Propriety is not a word most of us know or use today. It means “characterized by appropriateness and stability.” As children of a holy God, this means behaving in a way that is appropriate for Christians and that doesn’t bring shame to the Gospel. But what does that look like practically in the modern world?
PLUS: Will Tirzah be around in 2020? Read this month’s letter from the editor to learn more about Tirzah’s future.
Read MoreYears ago, when my boys were young and impressionable, one of the grandparents had a talk on modesty with them. They’d been upstairs, had all taken their bath before bedtime, and were probably running around naked (I’m rolling my eyes though - they were probably ages 5, 4, and 2). My husband’s dad taught them at that early age that it was good to keep private, what should be kept private. I don’t know why that stuck with all of us so much over the years, but I’m thankful for his lessons on this topic, because it’s something I think about often as a mom of four sons and my perspective comes more from this angle.
Read MoreThere are times though that I’m so focused on His good gifts that before I know it, my soul is out of alignment. Instead of praising Him in the present, I find myself feeling like a frustrated child. I didn’t say it was pretty, but it’s honest. And when this happens, God brings me back to a story He laid on my heart several years ago. A story of a little girl who is promised a special gift from her Good Giver.
Read MoreAs Christians, we are continually trying to live by the way of the Lord and striving to share God’s love with others around us. Cultural anthropology is an important element to the Christian faith because it relates to people -- being able to better understand the diverse world around us means we are then better able to serve.
Read MoreWhile working out one day, the thought came to me: is this something I am willing to fight for? Is this something I am willing to push myself in? Am I willing to fight for this even when I don’t feel like working out? Am I worth it? What am I willing to fight for?
Read MoreI don’t know about you, but I’ve found that talking about Jesus with people who aren’t Christians can be a little awkward sometimes. Maybe you’ve sworn off the topic of religion at family gatherings or you avoid inviting your roommate to church because you’re afraid of how she might react. If you’ve been following Jesus for a while or if you’re a new Christian, it can feel uncomfortable trying to bring up the subject of faith with those who are not used to it or who may even oppose it.
Read MoreOur experiences in life shape how we move forward in the future and how vulnerable we are with others. Habits that we fed as we grew up have affected the daily choices that we make now. We are humans who live out patterns, and we can see that in our own lives because of the choices—or lack thereof—that we make.
Read MoreIf you could describe your relationship with Jesus in one word what would it be?
Read MoreThis whole year, I have been reading along in the New Testament with my faith family. We’ve taken it one chapter a day, five days a week—leaving a day for catching up if we’ve fallen behind—and resting the last day.
Read MoreThe way our society portrays relationships is confusing more often than not. I spent a lot of time being single before meeting the man I later married. And I spent more time than I’d like to admit being worried about that state of singleness. The advice offered to single women seemed to fall along the lines of, “Enjoy the time that you have by yourself.” To me, this always came across as either trite or—depending on my mood—even somewhat insulting.
Read MoreObedience — our culture has put such a negative connotation around in, when in reality, it is such a beautiful thing in the context of Christ. Think about this; Christ was constantly obedient to our Heavenly Father (John 14:31). In that, we received grace, forgiveness, peace, mercy, salvation, love and the list could go on. Well, aren’t we called to live a life exemplified by Christ? Wouldn’t that include being obedient to our Heavenly Father? The answer, to both of these questions, is YES!
Read MoreGod’s call on your life is greater than the “yes” or “no” of men. When going through a personal experience of my own, I have wondered about the people that stand in the way of what God wants to do. I mean, I know God's plan will ALWAYS come to fruition, He doesn’t have a Plan B.
Read MoreI love to worship Jesus. I love to pray, and I love to read His word. He deserves our worship, because He alone is God, and He is holy and worthy of our praise. In light of this, though, have you ever sat in church and just didn’t feel like it that day? I’m not condoning this feeling, by the way, because if we lived based on our feelings and thoughts, we would be letting the enemy thrive in our lives, and we never want to do that.
Read MoreThere I sat, thousands of feet in the air with my Bible open and pen in hand. My most honest thoughts come when I am in the cabin of an airplane; forced to sit still with my phone turned off. As the sun slanted through the window, my pen hit paper and honesty poured out.
Read MoreWhat do you focus on the most in your life? What fuels you, in a positive way? What lets you down? Is it a person? Is it a tangible thing? I think that our outlook on life is an indicator of our faith.
Read MoreSomewhere in my elementary years, I delightfully encountered bossy Mrs. Armstrong and the motley Herdman gang of ”The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson. I remember feeling outraged as each unruly child bullied their way into the Christmas pageant roles - only to breathe a sigh of relief at the end as they truly portrayed their characters that first Christmas: messy and scared, but willing to give all they had. They might have been small actors in that play, but they played a big part in helping that community understand the true meaning of Christmas.
Read MoreEverything about who I am stems from what You say about me. Do I know what that is? Is who You created me to be something I have knowledge of? I don’t mean in the sense of “what is my purpose” and what it looks like in practice to fulfill Your plan, but the very essence of who I am or more importantly, whose I am.
Read MoreDid you know that as believers and followers of Jesus, we need to be careful with how we spend our time? We do. We need to be careful with what we read, what we watch, and what we listen to. A lady that I have “followed” for years through her blog posts made me aware of this fact. Before I start, though, can I just tell you how thankful I am for an online community of women who love Jesus that I have never personally laid eyes on? Social media gets such a bad rap, but when it is used for good, the enemy needs to beware!
Read MoreIs the cup half empty or half full? Personally, I remember this question mystifying me as a kid. You look at the top of the cup and there’s nothing there, so obviously it’s half empty. I’m not sure when my perspective changed, but I do remember it being a light-bulb moment, “Oh, I guess there is water in the bottom half of the cup!”
Read MoreI don’t even know where to start with this, it’s so easy to become lost in emotions. I wanted to pen this letter to women who were failed by the feminist movement. You who sit with these guarded and secret dreams that you are afraid to share. You who want to be homemakers.
Read More
