One of the first Bibles my mom ever gave me was hot pink. It was called The Message: Remix. It came in a plastic sleeve to protect the outside texture of the Bible, which felt rubbery and gel-like to the touch. It was very hip for the early 2000s, and I loved it. I filled that Bible with scribbles and sticky notes about how Jesus was showing ...
I stood in the sanctuary, surrounded by voices lifted in song, and I felt tears threaten to stream down my face. The words of “The Solid Rock” were on the screen, and my voice cracked as I tried to sing the second verse: When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within ...
Most folks in my friend circle describe me as friendly, kind-hearted, encouraging, and upbeat. I concur. Generally, my hope-filled, faith-fueled drive presents as a seemingly selfless and sunny disposition. Typically, regarding people, I believe the best and hope for the best. So much so that I’ve been asked, “How do you pretend to do that?” But ...
Here it is, mid-May, and I’m going back and forth between reading news on Meghan and Harry’s baby boy and remembering this time last year when two of my three kiddos graduated high school. Planning a graduation is in many ways like planning a wedding. Out of town guests? Check. Cake and a party? Check. Lots of bittersweet tears because really, ...
Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. ...
Who doesn't love a miracle? You know the kind that occurs drastically and in an instant? Who wouldn't want that?! There is a growing number of my friends and loved ones who have been hit with some kind of chronic illness -- everything from cancer to ALS to migraines to digestive struggles. I'm sure it is the same in your circles. I don't know why ...
“When is the last time you cried in a bookstore?” If you had asked me that question two months ago, I would have looked at you blankly, racked my brain, and then hesitantly replied, “Umm, I’m not sure I’ve ever done that.” I’m the girl who read straight through dinner, who ate with a fork in one hand and a book in the other, because she ...
Do any of these things sound familiar to you? Well, it could be better. Why are my projects never getting done? If I just wait for ____, it will be so much better. Maybe I should try one more time with this. If it is not perfect, then I basically just wasted my time. Why does it seem like I am always working until the last minute on ...
I don’t know if anyone’s ever fully prepared for the delicate and trying balancing act of launching our children into adulthood. As moms, we spend the first eighteen years of our kids’ lives bouncing between daily, mundane mothering tasks and attempting to lay for them a solid spiritual, emotional, and social foundation. Then, in the largest feat ...
Seven-hundred women sing with reckless abandon, “You are good, good, oh. You are good, good, oh.” Hands stretch high as they harmonize the heavenly tune. I try to sing with them, but something in my spiritual gut cracks open. The well deep inside bursts, and I double over in a silent scream. God is good, but this isn’t. Piercing pain, loss ...
