So, I'm newly thirty-nine, and I thought I was okay. I was okay, until I wasn't. I recently sat in my car and sobbed for a while. I was overcome with hopelessness and grief. I had just come from a sweet friend's concert. She did an amazing job. She loves Jesus and is super talented. Her journey to where she is in her life and career has not been ...
I’d had enough. I sat alone, curled up in a corner with my knees to my chest. I didn’t know how I could continue like this. I had done everything I was supposed to do: I was praying, I was reading the Bible, I was going to church and serving in ministry. I felt like I had given God all I had and still had come up empty. I wanted to ...
I came across an old journal while unpacking from a recent move, and my breath caught in my throat. Life is full of surprises and changes, ups and downs, and a whole lot of days somewhere in between. This particular notebook has moved with me from place to place many times, and I’m certain that one day I’ll pack it up again and bring it along ...
Sometimes in the midst of struggle, it’s hard to remember that worry from fear won’t change anything. I know in my heart that faith is the opposite of fear, that if I go on with my worrying, it means I am not trusting God. I know He is ahead of me on this. He knows what’s happening, He knows what will come ahead. He does not want me to live in ...
The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always ...
In the middle of Aldi’s frozen food aisle, I did church. Right in between the tater tots and frozen peas, I almost missed it, but I’m so grateful I didn’t. I've spent the last few years studying the theology of hospitality, and I’ve begged the Holy Spirit to heighten my awareness on the topic. After four decades of following Him, I’m having my ...
Before the men fell asleep, [Rahab] went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did ...
She was in the middle of a crisis, and suddenly she found herself in the middle of my embrace. Behind the closed door, with no one watching, she finally let herself fall apart. I can’t share the details of her crisis, because it’s her story to tell, not mine. Trust me when I tell you that she got whacked pretty hard by life. She’s a fighter, ...
God remains the strength of my heart. Psalm 73:26 (NLT) I sit in a darkened auditorium with my mom on one side of me and my daughter on the other. The three of us have come to hear Priscilla Shirer as part of her Fervent tour. She talks about who we are as women and all God created us to be. She also shares that we have a very real enemy who ...
In our culture, we value healthy bodies. My friend, Matt, has arguably the healthiest body I know. He trained for a whole year to compete in an Ironman competition -- early morning swims before work, daily run workouts while his sons went to football practice, Saturday bike rides. He schooled himself in nutrition and physical therapy. As a culture, ...
