Category: Faith
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3 Laws of Change
Her wrinkled hand clasped my arm for stability as we took a slight step down. “I need help ever since it happened,” she said apologetically. “Since what?” I asked, unsure if she had an injury I hadn’t heard about and ought to be aware of. Playfully, she shot back, “since I got old!” The sweet…
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A Shift in Perspective
The kitchen countertops were covered with ingredients, bowls, and cooking utensils. I started cooking in the late afternoon, consumed with preparing an elaborate meal. After I-don’t-know-how-long, my father-in-law stepped into the kitchen. “Ta-da” he announced. Lights flicked on. Turns out, I’d been cooking in the dark. It was amazing what a difference a shift in…
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God, Grief, and Good Books
The email came after two others. First, a rejection letter. Second, a bitter note intended to wound. Third, an invitation to read the pre-release of a book about grief. At the time, I was sitting beside a sleeping loved one in the throes of painful, frightening suffering and uncertainty. It won’t surprise you that I…
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God’s Reliability: Updating to 5.0
We know all too well the adrenaline rush of a beloved phone fizzling out or breaking. Updates to social media page layouts and software give us pause. If our apps and icons re-arrange themselves to “improve” efficiency, we can’t get anything done quickly for days! It’s normal to get used to doing things a certain…
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Faith Fears and God’s Trustworthiness
What’s the scariest part of faith for you? If you’re not sure, think of the Bible stories you know. Which parts lead you to panic and protest, reacting with “but you wouldn’t ask that of me, right God?!” In different Bible studies and conversations with friends, I’ve head different responses to these sorts of questions.…
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(Non-Bible) Lessons I’ve Learned from Bible Study
If you spend time reading and studying Scripture, you will learn a lot… and not just about key themes or specific commands or the people featured on the pages. You’ll also learn about yourself and the people around you, how to study God’s Word better, and about God’s character. Things I’ve learned from writing about…
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Favorites of 2019
Praise God for 2019, and for all He has in store. I hope you’ll be blessed by some of my favorites from 2019. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite for 2020? Though we would ask Him “come in haste,” His patience is our saving grace! Favorite Books Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery The…
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Help When You’re Not in the Christmas Spirit
We were in a time of transition, and I’d been eagerly anticipating the reliable traditions, stillness, and cherished peace of Christmas Eve. Silly as it was, attending a noisy, atypical morning celebration we were invited to instead of a calm service made me feel sad. To add to my frustration of eager anticipation climaxing in…
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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…