Once upon a time, I had a group of friends. It started harmless enough. We were the best of friends who loved to live life together. One day everything changed. Life started to get less and less fun. Divisions were caused and rifts were built. Suddenly, having fun was a sin.
Read More1 Corinthians 13, verses 4 through 7, has always fascinated me. As a child, I saw it as yet another unattainable thing in the Bible. It was something that Christians were supposed to be, but also something I could never be. It felt overwhelming. As a youth, I started to understand that these were qualities of Christ, yet they still felt beyond my grasp. As a young adult who walked away from the Lord, I no longer cared what the Bible said about anything
Read MoreWhat do you do when there is a tear-stained face, hair uncombed, a heart full of fear and anxious thoughts racing up and down, a time when you can’t eat, sleep or face anyone? How does the Bible tell us to face, endure and overcome suffering?
Read MorePeople often tell single gals that once you’re ready, God will send a husband into your life. But, what is “ready”? I struggled with that in my single years, often thinking that maybe the reason God wasn’t giving me a husband for so long was because I wasn’t ready for marriage. Or maybe my husband wasn’t ready. Maybe neither of us was ready, and so we had to wait.
Read MoreThis fall I am on the home stretch of a goal to read through the Bible in one year. I wrapped up the Old Testament during the dog days of summer, which gave me a new perspective on persistence in patience, and am finally reading the good news in the fresh air of fall. Wrapping up the Old Testament during the dog days of summer and reading the good news in the freshness fall brings. It has been a joy to read of new life and new freedom in the new season.
Read MoreMundane tasks; sometimes hard work that goes unappreciated. So many things can drain you of the energy in your battery cells. Though the keys of life are in the ignition to start your day, many times you feel your whole being refuses to “turn on,” as if your battery was dead.
Read MoreOn this conclusion on how to burn ships and build bridges, I want to burn the ship that your actions are necessary for God’s work. Guess what I learned? All the people, places, and things I thought God needed to complete His will - they were not necessary for GOD to complete what He wanted. Others chose their stories and I miss them dearly. However, I made the choice to follow God to where HE wanted to do a miracle.
Read MoreI am mama to a two-month-old baby boy, and my life has seemingly dissolved into a million tiny storms that swirl around into one massive tornado I call a day. The baby needs to be held, the dishes need to be cleaned, the laundry is stacking up, the office needs to be organized, the baby’s peed all over the bed, my breastmilk is leaking through my shirt… I think you get the point. I constantly am battling a swarm of troubles that feel consuming and unending.
Read MoreIt’s easy to think the Reformation that took place within the church (the then Catholic church) centuries ago has no real relevance to this day and age. But in fact, the Reformation’s impact on the church today is quite significant, and it’s important to acknowledge just how significant it really is in relation to how we participate in the church today, especially for us as women!
Read MoreWhen I read “love is not proud” in 1 Corinthians 13:4, my mind jumps to a quote from the beloved Jane Austen novel, Pride & Prejudice, when Mr. Darcy says “Vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride - where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will always be under regulation.”
Read MoreI, (Alycia), had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Cantrall to discuss her life and incredible story. Every person has a story, a testimony that shows how God took them from glory to glory. This is Anna’s story.
Read MoreI frequently get asked what is the meaning of Tirzah? This is because I run a non-profit with the name, as well as assisting Yelena with editing. In the past, I used to say “Oh, it means she is my delight”. Everyone would talk about how that is such a delightful name - especially to make women know that the Lord delights in them. I absolutely agree! However, as I did research recently, the name of Tirzah Magazine took on a new depth.
Read MoreInformation overload. Do those words ring any alarms for you? They do for me, especially right now in the times we’re living in. Everything feels so heavy in the world—and it is! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Do you? I think it’s okay to admit when we are not “okay”. One place I often feel frustrated is while I’m on social media. There are such great things about social media and I am an advocate for all of them. I love to be a light in that corner of the internet and I do believe that God can use each of us who belong to Him, even through our social media accounts. A frustrating side of social media is reading everyone’s opinions on everything under the sun.
Read MoreHave you heard that rejection is God’s protection? When we get rejected from something, I like to think God is working on our behalf for something better.
However, the blow of rejection can tear you down. The biggest rejection I have ever faced came unannounced in the word, “uncomfortable.” I received this news from a mutual friend of mine, on behalf of a guy. The dude was uncomfortable around me.
What do you do when life disappoints you? Or what about when it’s someone who lets you down? How do you handle those moments in life?
Read MoreWhether we want to admit it or not, each of us has faced the blow of rejection at some point in our lives — whether personal or professional. No one in history has been spared the bitter taste of this (Jesus included; His rejection was something else altogether! See Isaiah 53:3.) and sometimes, it can feel like a real struggle to move past it.
Read MoreWhenever I find myself in a used bookstore, I browse every single section including the Christian books. Most of the time, I see the same books over and over at each store--the ones that have managed to become bestsellers across the country. I usually have either already read the ones available or know that they are not for me.
Read MoreHave you ever watched the Hunger Games movies? (I recommend reading the books first, but the movies are good, too.) I have recently thought about a few scenes lately as I have started a Bible study on the armor of God.
Read MoreI had just reached school, my workplace. As I walked to my room, I watched the parents say goodbye to their dear children and leave. It was the start of the school year and some of the children were a little unsettled and looked worried. I saw the expressions of the parents-they looked as if they were bursting with love for their little ones.
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