-
Does God Like You?
When I ask [“Does God like you?”], I try to keep eye contact, but it is amazing how quickly people drop their eyes to the ground. It is painfully clear this is an uncomfortable question. Rather than interrupting the uneasy silence that often follows such a question, I sometimes notice eyes starting to moisten. Why? What is behind
-
When Jesus Met Women’s Problems
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him
-
My Avenger Lives
Ah, would that these words of mine were written down, inscribed on some monumentwith iron chisel and engraving tool, cut into the rock forever.This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.He whom
-
Grief as Faith
I will never forget this awful time,as I grieve over my loss.– Lamentations 3:20 Among encouraging things and words praising God, this verse is highlighted in my Bible app. Because there are times when life is just sad. There are Christians who insist trusting God means they’re happy all the time. They never feel discouraged.
-
Redeeming the Time
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:15-16 A few years ago, while hunting for activity ideas for the children’s Bible class I teach, I found a chart of days of the weeks divided into hours, telling the teacher to
-
The Resting God
You were made to image God. Your existence, in such a myriad of ways, shows those around you what God is like. This is an endless topic I find myself writing about repeatedly. Today let’s consider one thing that looks like God in a human life: rest. God is a resting God. This is one
-
Fruit of the Spirit
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23 I find it interesting that nothing in this list is a specific action. It’s not, “The fruit of the Spirit is becoming a preacher,” or, “The fruit of the Spirit
-
Nothing Changes Here
I am an ISFJ. If you don’t know what that means, it’s one of 16 personality types in the MBTI system. One common trait of ISFJs is that we tend to hate change. Any change. At all. The smallest change you can imagine. It’s usually portrayed as a weakness, and it certainly feels that way.
-
Rejoice, Childless One
“Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;burst into song and shout,you who have not been in labor!For the children of the forsaken one will be morethan the children of the married woman,”says the Lord. In this passage from Isaiah, I love how God doesn’t tell the woman longing for children, “It’s fine, you don’t
-
Whatever is Lovely
Truth matters; beauty doesn’t. This is a message I’ve received over and over growing up in church, from many sources. Unattractive flyers. Poorly written articles. Sermons about how what you do matters more than your appearance. Boring, moralistic stories teaching children The Right Thing To Do. Explicitly Christian art – music, movies, books, what have
His Words, My Delight. 