This is the beginning conclusion of my “Burning Ships & Building Bridges” series. The next three parts are actually going to pull you into the final chapter of “How God Led Me to Start a Home for Teen Mothers”. What I hope you learn from this is that there are topics that are important here on earth. They are important for us to understand and learn how to build bridges versus burning ships. All of the topics I’ve discussed have been temporal issues - gender, race, sexuality, pro-life, and more. The final issue that is most temporal of all that I want to discuss is everyone’s favorite topic, politics.
Read More“Did you use your eyeballs?” I respond when my husband can’t find something and asks if I’ve seen it. He’s a good sport to go back, look more thoroughly and usually returns with the found object. We laugh that he can never see what is right under his nose.
Read MoreIt was a Friday morning, my day off- I enjoyed a quiet slow start and had a leisurely breakfast. As I prayed about how to spend my day, a verse I had read came to mind. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”-Matthew 7:12a NIV
Read MoreI feel most beautiful, my true self, when I have no makeup on, and I am in jeans and boots, complete with a baseball cap. That is a far cry from where I was in high school; then I wouldn’t have dreamed of going out of the house without a full face of makeup.
Read MoreThe state that I live in has just entered a week of full lockdown restrictions in the wake of the Delta strain being found among local Covid tests. It was both annoying and stressful to receive the news just one day before school holidays were due to end but, in another way, somewhat timely.
Read MoreIn the United States, today’s war seems to fall more along black and white than Jew or Greek. It is interesting to me how people think victimization of a race is new and unique. When we look throughout history, we can go all the way back in time to the war between the Jews and the Greeks in the Bible. All over the world there are culture clashes and race wars. There are the Hutus and Tutsis in Africa, the apartheid in South Africa, and a war in the Slavic areas that broke out because of people in different countries marrying one another!
Read MoreSwitching on the kettle to make my morning tea, I looked out through the window at the sky, dark with a beautiful full moon! I pull out my journal, Bible and pen- and sit on our red couch to meet with Jesus one on one!
Read MoreHave you ever seen two children squabble over a toy, and when a parent comes into the fray and sorts it out, if it turns out one of the kids actually earned the toy properly, they walk away gleefully as the winner, leaving the other child to sulk or cry? One child feels like they “got” something someone else wanted, while the other feels like something was taken away that should have been theirs.
Read MoreWhat is love and how do we know if it is lasting? I have asked myself this question throughout the course of my life. Time and time again, I have been reminded what lasting love looks like by looking in God's Word. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV, I have been able to read, see, and feel what true love looks like. It isn’t just some reading that is popular at weddings and it isn’t just some nice sounding script that looks good on a Pinterest plaque. It is a description of who God is while also being a guidebook for how we are to love. While the first aspect of love in 1 Corinthians is being patient, the second characteristic of love is being kind, and listed right behind these is “love does not envy”.
Read MoreWhat is love and how do we know if it is lasting? I have asked myself this question throughout the course of my life. Time and time again, I have been reminded what lasting love looks like by looking in God's Word. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV, I have been able to read, see, and feel what true love looks like. It isn’t just some reading that is popular at weddings and it isn’t just some nice sounding script that looks good on a Pinterest plaque. It is a description of who God is while also being a guidebook for how we are to love.
Read MoreSince we’ve been on the topic of gender for the last few weeks, I thought it would be great to shift gears to everyone’s favorite topic - sexuality. In the 21st century, sexuality is our new identity. Why?
Read MoreThe gospel is beautiful in its simplicity, but for Israel, a people whose beliefs were steeped deep in the law and tradition, as we studied last week, the gospel became a stumbling block. So, Paul goes back to the teachings of Moses to make his point about where faith comes from and that the message of salvation is for all.
Read MoreHave you ever found it difficult to get into the right mindset for devotional time with God? I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to focus on just one thing at a time. It seems like there are twenty-four tabs open in my brain all the time.
Read MoreI should clarify, “Building Bridges & Burning Ships” is a culmination of what I have learned throughout my young adult years in leadership. It was a long road to learn these lessons with mistakes along the way, times where bridges were burned and ships were built, instead of bringing unity there was disunity. Times where I found myself in the middle of disunity, instead of unity.
Read MoreI just returned home from a trip out west with my family. We traveled to South Dakota and Wyoming seeing spectacular views, enjoying the outdoors and hiking strenuous trails. I always find a sense of peace when I am out there with no cell or Internet service, respecting and relishing in God’s creation.
Read MoreI’m a single woman currently. No ring on my finger, no man to call my own, yet — if the Lord wills. So I do the best I can to insert myself in third person as I write this article.
Read MoreUp until now, Paul has focused on God’s sovereignty, but now we shift to the responsibilities we as humans have in response to God’s mercy and sovereignty. This week, read Romans 9:30-10:4 and journal through the following questions.
Read MoreWe are a group of eight friends. Wives, mothers, grandmothers from different parts of the world with one common bond. We all love Christ and met through Bible Study Fellowship in Auckland several years back. Now, though we are no longer in the same Bible study group, we meet once every other month. We try to make it fun each time- a picnic, a swap party, a shared meal, coffee and cake and during the lockdown we even met on zoom sessions a couple of times!
Read MoreLast time we talked about burning ships and building bridges. We touched on my choice to not be in church leadership as a female. I want to tell you about a conversation that I had with an elder’s wife last week on the day that article came out.
Read MoreAs I read through the book of Genesis, my heart would speed up when I came across a woman’s name. I was inspired by faith’s forefathers, but was eager to hear how women participated in establishing our faith foundation.
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