Bethany McIlrath

First and Second: Perspective On What Matters Most (Matthew 22:36-40)

  • How to Talk to People

    How to Talk to People

    “Christian college,” was sandwiched in the middle of the sentence I said to the hair dresser as she sprayed and combed. We were about two minutes into my haircut and she was asking why I’d moved to the area and what my husband’s new job was. Her flinch was made more noticeable by twitch of…

  • God-Sized Dreams Takeaways

    God-Sized Dreams Takeaways

      Are you a dreamer? Do you have God-given dreams? Last week I got to wrap up a book study of You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream by Holley Gerth. It’s been convicting and encouraging to read along with everyone. Even if you haven’t read it, I hope you’ll benefit from the highlights I’ve learned along the…

  • God’s Good Gift of Friendship

    God’s Good Gift of Friendship

    Do you ever feel like asking God for a friend is too small or silly a request? I did, but I asked anyway. A few years ago, God answered with the girl who is still one of my best friends! It’s a story I love to tell. I hope you’ll be encouraged that God cares…

  • Ecclesiastes and The Wise Fool

    Ecclesiastes and The Wise Fool

    “Have you ever read Ecclesiastes?” my friend asked. We’d been talking about philosophy and that question we all face sometimes: does any of this matter? I hadn’t taken any drastic measures yet. A nose piercing was about the least risky thought I’d entertained in my crisis of purpose. “What’s Ecclesiastes?” I replied, expecting an explanation…

  • How Heroes of the Faith Recharged

    How Heroes of the Faith Recharged

    I don’t know about you, but by the middle of the week, I’m starting to wane. I need to refuel because I’m human. Our heroes in the faith were also human, and they needed to recharge too. Here’s how they did it when they were running on empty… Click Here to Read the Rest. This…

  • Spring Starts With a Thaw

    Spring Starts With a Thaw

    Some seasons feel like just getting by. Though God provides what we need, we receive His gifts coolly. Like the frozen ground in winter, we see the blessings drifting down as a mere covering until at last the sun comes again. We’re numb with the cold of same old, same old. Habituated to our hurts…

  • To Rest or…Is It Rest? That is the Question.

    To Rest or…Is It Rest? That is the Question.

    4 o’clock. I weighed the choice in my mind. It had been a long day, and I wanted to rest. TV is a go-to when I want to relax. But I knew I had more to do. I knew if I watched TV immediately, I’d lose time with my guy catching up on my to-do…

  • When It’s Not Over

    When It’s Not Over

    “The end,” the story says. Script writers know that to successfully complete a TV series or movie, you must wrap up the loose ends. At the end of a person’s life, there is a service to conclude their time on earth. When you get sick, one of the first questions you ask the doctor is…

  • Wasn’t Always

    Wasn’t Always

    I’ve never met a happily married person who’s always been happily married. I’ve never met an adult who wasn’t once a child. I’ve never known a Christian who hasn’t been without Christ. When Jesus said He came to call the sick, not the healthy, His point was this. None of us has always been righteous….

  • Proportionate Fear

    Proportionate Fear

    Spiders and I have a tenuous relationship. As a little girl, I thought they were downright freaky. But my beloved grandmother loved to scoop up daddy long-legs and sweet talk ‘em. More afraid I’d disappoint her than I was of the nickel-sized monsters, I’d give the spiders she found chummy names and pretend to be…