The excerpt above from a Psalm of David perfectly captures the simultaneous feelings of despair and hope that sometimes plague believers. On one hand, we know intellectually that God is good (all the time) and will never leave or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). On the other hand, circumstances of life can sometimes feel so unbearably heavy and crushing that it is tempting to wonder if the former is really true.
Read MoreHygge: Noun, A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture (Oxford Languages). Pronounced hoo-guh, this cozy little word conjures up images of candles and a cup of tea, a hearthside fire, the aroma of freshly baked bread, and dwelling in an abode. Abiding.
Read MoreI have been listening to the podcast The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz, for a few years now. I love his dialogue after reading the scriptures. I have learned much from listening to the Bible daily and listening to his commentary afterwards. I recently went through the book of Judges in the Old Testament; and although quite different time periods from the modern time, there is, indeed, a connection between the book of Judges and our world today.
Read MoreIn 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we find valuable verses that offer believers insight into the love of God while also giving us instructions and applications for how to show love to others. While most of this scripture tells us what love is, verse 5 tells us what love is not and does not do. The last part of this verse says that “love does not delight in evil.” (NIV)
Read MoreGet up at 6AM, 8AM, or if you’re lucky, 10AM (anyone?). Turn the coffee brewer on, or prepare the tea bags if that’s your preference. Shower (or not). Drive to work, or, if you’re fortunate, walk downstairs to your home office. Work for eight hours Monday through Friday. Turn off your computer portal, and hit repeat. If you’re a weekend warrior, while everyone else gets to hang out with their friends, you have to work.
Read MorePride is a tricky thing. It sneaks up on us and tricks us in thinking we're strong enough to stand alone, without God, and we never see the fall coming, no matter how many times we give in to pride.
Read More¨What are you hoping for this year?¨ My friend asked me, and without skipping a beat I said, ¨a good man.¨ “Neither was man created for woman, but woman created for man.” –1 Corinthians 11:9 (ESV). For the better part of my life, I have been consumed with the hunt to find my future husband.
Communion (in some form or another) is evident throughout both the Old and the New Testament. To commune means, ‘to get very close to someone by communicating one's feelings and thoughts’ or ‘to live and work together, sharing possessions and responsibilities’ (Oxford Dictionary and Merriam Webster Dictionary). Communion adds ‘to provide for, nourish, protect and redeem.’
Read MoreMy church family went to watch the movie Jesus Revolution last week and man, it did not disappoint. My husband and I love the show Frasier, so we were excited when we saw Kelsey Grammer would be starring in it. How can a movie go wrong when it has Jesus, hippies, and Frasier?
Read MoreIf you’ve been following along this year with Tirzah, you know that we have been on a journey to explore the basic foundations of our faith. Check out Parts 1, 2, and 3 to learn more about the Biblical understanding of “church”. Today, we are actually following through on a request for the foundations of the Anglican Church.
Read MoreWaiting is difficult, especially when waiting for something our hearts deeply desire. It isn’t for the faint of heart nor is waiting for those who give up easily. 1 Samuel 1:2 reads,¨and he had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.¨
Read MoreI have historically been rather adept at making a mess of things. Add in unhealthy patterns of the past, and the emotional spiral can plummet downward in those never-ending places of unmet expectations. Any memory verses that I nobly pledged myself to adhere to quickly fall to the wayside in the moment of heated frustration.
Read MorePeople like to say that they will “forgive but not forget”, as though forgiving and forgetting are mutually exclusive. This was the attitude of the people of the church of Corinth. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church because they chose to sue each other rather than resolve their differences.
Read MoreI have to be honest with you. I am not writing this article from a place of having figured it all out. As a woman in my twenties, even though I have worried less about job searching the more I think theologically about it, I still don’t like the process.
Read MoreAfter having my third miscarriage at 18 weeks pregnant, I struggled to understand what God was doing in my life. I was forced to give birth to a daughter I would never be able to care for. Who I would only dream and wonder what her little hands may one day do. Why would He allow such a loss? How would I ever smile again?
Read MoreHave you spent a lot of time thinking about Barnabas? I hadn’t. This verse is so cool because it talks about how Barnabas’ name means “Son of Encouragement”. The book I just finished “Authentic Influencer: The Barnabas Way of Shaping Lives for Jesus” by Jonathan Murphy is all about Barnabas and how his example can help us become the best type of influencer in the 21st century.
Read MoreIt’s probably verses like these that are taken out of context and used to accuse God of being a mean and overly critical teacher who is just waiting to catch you red-handed. Not true. He’s so much bigger and better than we think.
Read MoreWhen I found out that Tirzah was using their platform to focus on mental health, God immediately laid on my heart to write about my experiences with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Through a four-part series, we will break down how loneliness, fear, regret, and worry all lead to mental health struggles and how under it all, believing ourselves to be unlovable and unworthy only adds to the feelings of hopelessness we can all feel.
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