The Lord promises to be with us always. Wherever you are now, in the car waiting for your child to finish his soccer game, outside the school on a wet evening- he is with you. As you fold laundry and wash and put away dishes, he is with you.
Read MoreFor those who don’t know, Reformation Day is the day that Martin Luther nailed the “95 Theses” to a Catholic Church door. During this time, much of the church was following Catholicism and practices that said you could earn forgiveness and salvation. Martin Luther’s theses explained that the Bible was the ultimate authority and only Jesus could forgive sins. This started the Protestant Reformation and helped spark a new day for the church in history.
Read MoreNow, we all know or have heard about Ruth’s past – was married into a household that worshiped God, lost her husband and father-in-law, and had the option to go back to her family but instead she decided to remain loyal to her mother-in-law, Naomi. We also know what happens afterwards – Naomi’s family member, Boaz, marries Ruth and they live happily ever after. This is a love story far better than any made-up Disney romance.
Read MoreYou may be hearing a lot more about banned books, particularly last month during Banned Book Week. Bookstores and libraries featured displays of books that have been banned throughout the years, and publishing companies, authors, and social media book influencers spread anti-censorship messages on their feeds.
Read MoreJesus came so our life could be abundant, full, and overflowing. He came so we would be free to live and free to love. When our life is not looking like this, we know it is the work of Satan. He loves it when we cower in fear and when we feel condemned, broken, and useless. And for this he sometimes uses people around us, situations and circumstances, social media and even our own minds.
Read MoreGone. Eighteen years of work gone. In fact, you can multiply that by four. Seventy-two years of work gone. Eighteen years per child. Sixteen years of high school homeschool documentation totaling more than at least ninety-six separate documents.
Read MoreI remember these words written in gold on a red background hanging in our home in the dining room. As a little girl, I loved that Jesus was part of our family, listening to every word. He was the head of the house and that gave me comfort and strength.
Were you raised or are you raised by the mother who accommodates for every need? She has sunk her whole identity into being a wife or a mother. Does the thought of losing yourself completely to motherhood scare you? Rachel talks about setting strong boundaries, so your identity remains grounded in Christ and also loving your children fully.
Read MoreMy boyfriend wishes he met me sooner. I, on the other hand, am thankful for the time we met. Just like King Solomon wrote: “there is a season for every event under heaven.” I know that right now is God’s perfect season for me. Those fifteen years walking the path of singleness, He taught me to build my trust in Him and to keep believing that He would keep His word to me.
Read More“Help me do this right, Lord.”
This is the shortest prayer that has helped me on several occasions. What happens when we pray this? Suddenly there is calm and clarity. All at once, we realize that God is bigger than our problem. The situation does not magically change every time, (though sometimes it does) but almost instantly you change, your heart changes. You emerge as a strong, calm person. You have a restful heart.
Read MoreEarlier this week, I tried to help someone, offering some expertise around a particular topic in which she could have benefited from some insight. In response, I received some rather abrasive words… and an opportunity. Opportunity, you say. What? Yes, that’s right. This interaction gave me a choice about how I would respond. Initially, I found myself feeling frustrated at her response, particularly knowing that she was going to face difficulty which could easily have been avoided.
Read MoreThe month of September did indeed bring a monumental transition to the world. England would lose their beloved queen and crown a new king. Did you ever think about the fact that with every death there is new life?
Read MoreEveryday, mothers all around the world pack lunches in brown bags, plastic boxes, stainless steel containers or in fancy designer ones for their children. The boxes may look different, but they always contain a good dollop of love and care!!
Read MoreDo you know what day of the week is my favorite? Sunday. Sunday just seems to be a slower, more peaceful day - a day of restoration. I often try to do “gospel yoga” on the Peloton app prior to church. After church, we normally have lunch with our family and then have a “lazy” day. We hike, take a nap, catch up on a hobby, or read. Sundays are a day to regain focus; to rest and reflect on what is important in our lives.
More Than Your Number is “A Christ - Centered Enneagram approach to becoming A.W.A.R.E of your internal world. Maybe you have heard of the enneagram? Maybe you are one of those people who has done every single personality test on the planet. Beth & Jeff McCord want to help people understand the enneagram from a Christ-centered approach.
Read MoreTrue confession: I’m not a huge fan of books on dating. I’ve always focused more on marriage. This is a personal preference. However, I LOVED Godly Dating 101. I think it’s an incredibly useful book - whether single, dating, or married. Why? Because the title is a sneaky one.
Read MoreAs a former social worker, I was extremely excited to review Anthony Evans and Stacy Kaiser’s new book When Faith Meets Therapy. The entire premise is advocating for therapy for Christians - in the right context. At Tirzah, we have always been open about mental health and the need to grow for ourselves, so we can serve other people better. However, we are aware that a lot of stigma comes around therapy.
Read MoreI’ve been thinking about prayer lately, how God has always been faithful with every yes and no. But the way He answers prayer always seems to be so different from the way I imagined He would. Lately, I have been reminded of God’s goodness in that.
Read MoreWhen I was a student at Bain School in Chennai India, this was one of my favorite choruses. I wrote my own Tamil version for Sunday School years later and sang it often. When I saw my young cousin Kalpana wearing a WWJD bracelet (What Would Jesus Do) I thought of how hard it was to actually live like Jesus in this world. Today we will look at Jesus and learn 3 specific ways we can be more like Jesus, every day.
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