Practically, how do we go about living with God? Especially, if we are in seasons where it is easier to accept He’s not actually around. How do we live with a living God, when we still aren’t convinced He is living?
Read MoreEvery year I pick a word to focus on - something that sums up my goals for the coming months, while also being more flexible than a new year’s resolution. For 2020, I’ve chosen the word invest.
Read MoreThis year, I am reading through the Bible chronologically again, along with a lot of the women in my church. I am an avid reader, and I think the chronological order makes more sense, at least to me. You can purchase a Bible that is already divided up for such reading, or you can read along on an app. Whichever way you read is fine; the main thing is that we all need to be reading the word of God on a daily basis. One day last week I came across the story of Sarai and Hagar, in Genesis 15-16.
Read MoreDo you ever find yourself asking God what He wants you to go, and feel like you are not receiving a response? Do you ever pray through a monologue with all your requests to God, but never stop to listen to what He may need to say? Just me?
Read MoreLast week, we talked about what it means that women were created to be helpers. There are two opposite ways women react to this statement: (1) push back that this is an unfair stereotype that pigeonholes women at home doing domestic chores or (2) embrace it as support for why women shouldn’t be in the workforce and/or moving up the corporate ladder into leadership. Both points have merit, so let’s discuss the intersection of women working and being helpers.
Read MoreHave you ever looked up the word hospitality to see what it means? Dictionary.com defines this word as “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.”
Read More“You can’t just decide you want to do something and do it.” The statement by my pastor really jolted me in my seat. My immediate reaction was disgust. As a typical human, if someone says “you can’t” to me, it immediately becomes my life goal to be able to come back and say “I can . . . and I DID.”
Read MoreEverything around you is moving. Texts received and emails flooding inboxes. Schedules are filling up…quickly. Just a few short weeks ago, we had such big aspirations and goals for ourselves. But then life got busy and time flies, and it becomes hard to focus on what matters most.
Read MoreAs a teenager and into my early twenties, I really didn’t like the marriage set up painted by the church and the Bible. I am not even going to the topic of submission. That’s a topic for another day. No, I want to start with the basics: being a helper to a man.
Read MoreEver since I discovered what business people do around 6th grade, I began to dream of reaching the top. The “top” changed over the years - in high school, I wanted to do fashion design or PR; in college it was business or journalism; then law school opened its own doors into courtrooms and politics; and then when I went to work for an accounting firm, making partner was the top. Regardless of the field or profession, I’ve always just had this drive to be the best I can be what I do. I love learning and always look to do the next hard thing that would move me up in my career and profession.
Read MoreHave you ever had a moment where you know you absolutely should not say the words that are going through your mind, but somehow they come out anyway? I like to think I am a kind person most of the time, but when I get stressed or upset, I say things to my husband that I don’t intend to say. Rather than using my words lovingly to help us find a solution to a problem, I use them to cause harm.
Read MoreThere is something liberating about new beginnings. A clean slate. A fresh start. That is what 2020 brings. But we are not just entering a new year, we are also entering a new decade. And as we enter a new decade, we, more often than not, cannot help but want it to be grand. We have big goals in mind. We set a vision for our lives and how we want to live it in the next 10 years.
Read MoreBeing creative on my own terms is what I am used to doing. Since I struggle with being disciplined, it’s just easier to do things when I want to, rather than making an intentional decision. After basing my creative process (i.e., that it’s easier to do things when I want to) on this lie, I have realized not only how selfish it is, but how stuck it has gotten me.
Read MoreAs we start our Theology Thursdays series, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite podcasts on theology.
Read MoreMore women are working today and we're also staying longer in the workforce. More importantly, Christian women are working, and yet there is a very obvious lack of Scripturally sound career advice for young women today.
Read MoreAlthough many good things came out of 2019, there was also a massive rise in tragic events, and in particular, the rates of suicide. In New Zealand, where I’m from, over the past year, suicide statistics have increased drastically. It appears people are feeling more helpless and alone in this world than ever. In cases of suicide, families are left broken and grieving and so for many, the new year brings painful reminders of the previous year’s tragedies.
Read MoreI was a young Christian and dutiful to follow the Christian checklist exactly. I glued my eyes to the page. I read this verse with all my might and slowly, so that I would not miss one single word of it. But however hard I tried to read and get it in my head, I could not seem to understand it with my heart.
Read MoreThere is a section of 2 Kings that I came across, and I think the truths expounded in that saga are not unlike the truths we need to hear now. We are all learning how to live with a living God. It’s easy to live life when God is distant, ancient, and silent. But, that is not who God is, and in 2 Kings 18-19, we find two kings learning what it means to live with a living God.
Read MoreAnyone else find the word "theology" intimidating? Please, speak up if you do. I can't be the only one, right? Yes, I know, I write about what I learn from the Bible all the time and I lead a Christian online magazine where we talk about God and the Bible, but if anyone brings theology or theological concepts into the conversation, I panic. It feels way out of my depth. I've even debated going to seminary just to avoid having that feeling.
Read MoreAlycia goes back to the beginning of her journey that lead her to start a home for teenage pregnant women and new moms in Wisconsin.
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