Embrace What God Allows I almost titled this post, “Embrace the Unembraceable.” When I landed on embrace as my “one word” for 2024 last January, I thought I knew what it meant. Embrace new encounters. Say yes to new adventures. Welcome new friendships. And, of...
The Dreaded Christmas Letdown Christmas is my favorite holiday. Even as I continue to adjust to missing my husband—knowing a piece of my heart resides in heaven—I still love Christmas. Sappy movies with happily-ever-after endings. Hectic schedules punctuated by...
A Christmas Carol Message: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” We don’t often incorporate the word herald in our daily conversations. Yet we sing about herald angels each Christmas. Why are the angels in the biblical Christmas account referred to as “herald” angels...
A Christmas Carol Message: “Silent Night” The quintessential Christmas carol, “Silent Night,” has an interesting backstory. Written 200 years ago for a guitar accompaniment because the church organ required repair, the poignant lyrics and melody are still a...
Christmas Carol: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” When I think of Christmas carols, I think of joy. Celebration. Cheer. But the Advent season (the four weeks leading to Christmas day) is often ushered in with a song that can be described as melancholy. Mournful....
Gratitude Prompts There’s a saying traveling the internet these days that goes something like this: “What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” (Was that as convicting for you as it was for me?) Thanksgiving Day is the...
Be the One, Not the Nine We’ve all heard the advice: Don’t buck the crowd. Go along to get along. Don’t rock the boat. When I’m with a group of people, often the last thing I want to do is buck the crowd. Teens are especially vulnerable to this feeling, but...
Where Do You Live? Where do you live? I don’t mean your street address, or your city, state, or country. Where do you live spiritually and emotionally when the storms of life break over you? Where is your hiding place when your stress level is off the charts?...
Is It the End of the World? The 2024 presidential election is finally over and while many are celebrating, others are convinced the end of the civilized world as we know it has arrived. Can both polarized opinions be correct? The “end of the world” seems to be...
Is it Easier to Give or Receive Love? A conversation with a friend sparked this question. In her daily quiet time a few years ago, she had asked God to show her how to give absolute love. Aware of the many ways the Lord has lavished His love on her, she wanted...
Attractively Countercultural I recently listened to a Bible study where a friend challenged her listeners to be...
Living As God’s Beloved What does it mean to live as one beloved of God? To know you live in the eternal love...
True/False Quiz: What We Believe and Why What’s Christian and what’s not? Test your answers to the following 10 true...