Sitting by the potted plants on our balcony, I opened my Bible and read these verses. I had read the passage many times before, but today it seemed to call me to pay attention as it popped out of the page.
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In the United States we've become experts at simplifying the Bible - we pride ourselves on 20 minute sermons, we prefer the message Bible to "better understand" it, and our Christian stores have shelves upon shelves of books to guide our spiritual life and walk us through reading the Scriptures. There is nothing wrong with this, necessarily. It's just that too often we become to dependent on these crutches to lead us through life.
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No one - no one - can honestly say their life is perfect. No matter how the social media posts read or what the pictures look like; no life is perfect. Now, some people invite in more (emotional) mess than others, but even so, no one has a ¨mess-free¨ life. We live in a fallen world.
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We have all experienced them. A shattered business endeavor; a disappointed dream; a wayward child. Like a stillborn child, the dream is unable to be resuscitated. We are left wounded, devastated, hope deferred and our path deterred. When the rug is pulled out from under our feet; when we find ourselves on a detour we didn’t map out; while yet clutching onto our stillborn dream, He is still holding us.
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You know that moment? When you stretch a rubber band to its max and you can just feel that if you stretch it for even a fraction more, it will snap in two? That's the moment God loves to work in most. In our human terms, it's the point where you rest your hands in defeat, acknowledging there is no way that you can humanely solve the problem any more.
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As I previously mentioned, I truly enjoyed working as a labor and delivery nurse. It was a true joy to come to work everyday. Through the adrenaline rushes, slow moments, sweet moments, and stories that are engraved in my memory for a lifetime, it was a great job.
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If you are like me, you probably recognize the names Priscilla and Aquila. They are mentioned several times by Paul in the books of Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy. They are also noted in the book of Acts. If you are also like me, you may have unfortunately glossed over their story. I am here to share their lives more in depth with you, as they are an amazing example individually, and even more so as husband and wife, of living out your life for the Lord.
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Lately, God has been guiding me to out of my comfort zone. And although I haven't actually taken any physical action to leave my comfort zone, God seems to be preparing my mind and my soul for some kind of big life change. And that both excites me and scares me.
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Our theology series (see Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) has moved from the history of the church in the Bible to the history of the church in England to the divisions in the church and reformation! This month we are looking at a denomination I have attended because it was a church God called me to.
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We are naive and beauty obsessed people. Always have been, and probably always be. In today's world, we are pestered with images of what beauty should look like and how we can achieve it. Open any magazine and you'll see at least one article/info graphic/ad telling you how you can draw attention to yourself by the clothes you wear, how you do your makeup or even the way you walk/talk.
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The son of God wept. According to dictionary.com, to weep is “to express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears; to mourn with tears.” Weeping is essentially the crying of your soul, it’s the most heart-breaking way to express the pain your heart feels.
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This quote is often said to someone who’s experiencing something emotionally taxing and overwhelming. The advisor intends to give encouragement to the person who is ‘in the valley’ to not rely only on their feelings, but to take everything to God.
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What if obedience was the precursor to something God wanted to do for you later in life? Would you choose to snap to attention right away? No questions asked? Easy, right? But only if we know the why behind the ask.
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The phrase used in this verse ‘eager hands’ brings these images to my mind: a tired mother cooking, cleaning and running errands, a student who puts in her best effort as she toils on the paper due next week, or a young computer specialist, a hardworking surgeon, who starts her day drawing from God’s strength, eager to be right in the place God has placed her.
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In today's world, living a Christian life has become a very gray area - each church and even each individual finds his/her own way to interpret the Bible - from one verse, you can get hundreds of different religions and personal beliefs. So, how do you know which one is right? How do you know if something is a sin? For example, is TV a sin? Movies? Sports? Some say there are, others scoff and say Jesus really doesn't have an opinion on the topic.
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God cannot be understood by our own human modes of wisdom. All the logic and best thinking of the history of the world cannot fully comprehend God and his ways. Instead, God’s intent was to use the Church - the “foolish” ones according to the word - to display his wisdom within the world (Ephesians 3:10-11).
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I had landed my DREAM job. I was working as a labor and delivery registered nurse in the Texas Medical Center, the number one medical center in the world! It was extremely competitive to get that job, and I absolutely saw the favor of God as I walked in my calling as a nurse.
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A new topic has taken over my heart this month, and that is home. Home: A place where you feel loved and cared for, a place where you can be you. Whether or not this is your actual experience - to some it is a place of danger, or even abuse - we all carry a dream of home in our hearts.
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