Category: Faith
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Fearing the Responsibility of Writing
Our neighborhood is full of spooky decor this time of year. Sometimes I wonder what it would look like if we put symbols of the things we’re *actually* afraid of in our front yards instead. Mine would include…anything I’ve ever published! Ever fear something because you feel more responsible for the outcome than you possibly…
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We Don’t Know How, But We Know Who
In one week, my husband and I went from not being able to picture our life a year from now to having a pretty good idea of what it would entail. The Lord had surprised us tremendously with His new plans. But…we weren’t facing any fewer unknowns. Instead of asking, “Lord, what do you want…
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I Ate A Blueberry Today
I ate a blueberry today. It’s a big deal because…I hate most fruit. (Yes, I know. I know. But the texture and tart or tang overwhelms me!) I read recently that if you eat something you don’t like 8 times, you’ll stop feeling so strongly about it. So I ate one blueberry per day for…
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What God Is Healing While Not Healing My Health Problems
I’ve been praying for the Lord to heal me from significant chronic health problems for a long while now. I will continue to. In the meantime, I marvel at what He IS healing me from through this course of pain… God is healing me of a false need to carry my own burdens. I’ve always…
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What Are You Waiting For?
You are waiting for something right now. Dinner? An apology? A call from a loved one? Treatment to start working? All four of these things? We are always waiting both for trivial things and for the stuff that makes life meaningful. This is hard. Waiting can be lonely, worrying, and exhausting. We don’t like it.…
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Life without the Force
“Life without using force.” Sounds very Star Wars, doesn’t it? But this is essentially what I answered when someone asked me what I’ve been learning in a hard, limiting season. I’ve always been a doer with a fairly high capacity. The planner. The organizer. The host. The follow-upper. Lately, I haven’t been able to *make*…
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Come Thou Unexpected Jesus
It’s wonderful to know what to expect as Christmas traditions begin– our beloved old faux tree, the snowglobes with nativity scenes, the cozy lights hung up. And of course, our advent “calendar.” We hang a homemade ornament on the tree each night that features two Bible references. First, an Old Testament prophecy. Next, Christ fulfilling…
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Failing at the Right Things
While we were newlyweds, my husband visited a seminary he was considering attending. His tour guide, an older student, gave him this sage advice: “If getting a ‘C’ in class means getting an ‘A’ in marriage, take that ‘C.’” Those words stuck with us, teaching us something that has applied far beyond classroom settings and…
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Why I Love Praying ‘All is Yours’
I don’t remember how or when it started, but at some point, I frequently began praying, “all is yours.” Many of my prayers are punctuated with this simple recollection. It’s a refrain that sticks with me because it so helpfully redirects my perspective. Remembering that all is the Lord’s helps me to… Acknowledge Acknowledging that…
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Peace in Jesus is Unique
This post is a reshare of what I shared last week as a little experiment on Substack. If you’d like to receive a weekly Bite-Size Peace Devotion, you can sign up below. **I thought I could automatically send these devotions to anyone subscribed to First and Second already, but sadly can’t! Sorry! You’ll have to…