Category: Life of Faith
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When It’s Not Over
“The end,” the story says. To successfully conclude the plot of a story, 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 “when will I will…
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The Goodbye We Never Have To Say
“See you later, alligator.” “Speak soon.” “Until next time.” Why do we find all sorts of creative ways to say goodbye, even if we’re only going to be apart for a few hours? “Goodbye” feels weighty, even when it isn’t final. It reminds us of the limits of relationships. There are always separations. We aren’t…
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The Surprising Reason God Says Not to Worry
“Don’t worry,” my husband says. At that moment, a hundred scenarios enter my mind as I worry about the reason he felt the need to tell me not to worry. The same thing has happened when I’ve read those words, quoted from Luke 12, on coffee mugs, t-shirts, and wall decorations. If you’re going to…
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Our Hope Is Built On Nothing Less Than…
I laugh at the memes featuring people peeking out from behind their doors, wild-eyed, saying, “what chapter of Revelation are we doing today?” I’ve chuckled at stoic, cynical jokes about bracing ourselves for the last few months of 2020- a year that seems doomed. Humor is good. Laughter helps. But in case, like me, you…
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A Testimony to God’s Faithfulness and Thank You to YOU
Do you know the old hymn “Up from Grave He Arose?” It’s one of my favorites, and when I am bursting with excitement and praise, I pump my arms and sing it loudly off-key. There has been much occasion for this silly display recently, even in the midst of the pandemic. A Call to Pray…
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Dealing With What You Didn’t Choose
One of the greatest evidences of sin, in my experience, is this: Victims must confess the crimes committed against them. For criminals to go behind bars, victims have to share what was done to them. Those harmed in ways that cause lasting damage have to live everyday with someone else’s choices. There are things outside…
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Because God Became Man…
Christmas is the season of celebrating the good news of Jesus: that God became a man to save us! That’s what the angel said: “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who…
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Packing for Heaven
Our packing routine is well established. We grab the green duffel bag, and lay out our clothes first. He rolls them up tightly while I wander the house grabbing other items, careful not to forget things like toothpaste. For health-related reasons and my picky eating and such, we talk through our plan A, our plan…
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Condemnation vs. Conviction
“That’s the worst,” is the sort of thing we tend to say when someone tells us about the flu, or a car fluke, or the frustration of Netflix discontinuing a favorite show. The Apostle Paul had a different sort of view. “I am the worst,” he said, referencing his sinful self in 1 Timothy 1:15….
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Reminder: We Need Reminders!
A friend recently asked me to help her improve her planning skills. I beamed at the request and could hardly wait to share my top tip with her: remind, remind, remind. If you have a deadline, write it down so you remember. Then count back two days and write a reminder to work on it….