In my prayers, I began presenting God my platters of good deeds, sacrifices, and accomplishments, and expected Him to return my offering with earthly blessing, favor, and gain. As time passed, life grew arduous. Soon I discovered the only variable increasing in my life was bitterness.
Did God even see all that I was doing? Did He even care?
Read MoreI am confident we are all in desperate need for a summer sabbath, so I’m reflecting on these questions today:
How can I finish the school year strong?
How can I enter into a restful summer that allows for an exhale of restoration and adventure?
How can I better prepare for the fall without wanting to give up right now?
“I have always wondered if I could put up a tree, and just use blue and silver decorations instead,” she explained, wanting to honor both her Jewish heritage and her husband’s Catholic background.
“Of course!” I exclaimed. “The tree has little to do with Jesus,” I told her confidently at the time. “It’s just a secular expression of the season.”
But, what I didn’t understand until the last few years is just how much our trees actually do set the stage for the redemptive story of Christ and put in perspective our greatest longings. Allow me to share more.
Over the years, however, I’ve been reminded how little I understood the tree those fifteen years ago.
Read MoreReady or not the holidays are upon us. Opportunities to serve, host, cook, and clean will become plentiful. After an exhausting year, how can we make it through “the most wonderful time of the year”, and have even an ounce of joy left? Here are a three reminders to get you through the coming months with your joy in tact even as you serve those around you.
Read MoreWondering how to live free? If the root motivation behind any action you and I are seeking in the name of ‘freedom’ has self in it, we may need to reconsider and wrestle with it a bit more. Let me give you three examples.
Read MoreWhy do I always feel tired right now?
After a year of abnormalities, unexpected punches, and consistent catastrophes, I feel it deep in my bones. Do you feel it to? How can we find rest even when our circumstances aren’t changing? Read here to find out.
Read MoreHas there been a time in your life when you just didn’t feel like celebrating? I understand.
I understand the desire to avoid celebrating, because of fears and disappointments alike. The exhaustion is real along with the desire to push joy away, put on our comfy winter pants, and wallow in the frustration of it all.
But, this holiday season, what if we pushed through, and found a reason to celebrate anyway?
Read MoreIs God real? Why can I not see him?
These are several questions I’ve received from my children over the years. It can be easy for us to be afraid of the difficult questions, because we may not have the “right” answer. In this post I share some personal examples of how God revealed himself in some uncomfortable moments. Read and be encouraged to embrace the hard questions.
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