My original thought had been to go into the Christian bookstore to pick up a couple of the books on my list of things to read this year. But of course I can’t just pick up those books and leave. I have to roam. Literally every aisle of books. Some of them more than once. … Read more
I can’t stop thinking about that first Christmas. I keep picturing the scene—Mary kneeling beside her child, smiling. Joseph with a protective hand on his wife’s shoulder. The animals gathered around, calm and quiet. The shepherds standing outside the tiny stable. The Magi kneeling with gifts. Such a serene image. But I doubt it actually … Read more
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ~1 John 4:10 The last several hours had crawled by. From the garden to this bloody hill, Jesus had very little time to rest. His accusers had toted Him around Jerusalem looking … Read more
Daily Sabbath… That phrase has been sitting on my head all week, like a reminder. Yes, you have a lot to do, Jazmin; but don’t forget to rest. I don’t think we know what rest really means in our culture. America is all about going and doing. Seven day work weeks. Seven days that stores … Read more
She had been bleeding for twelve years. No doctors could help her and no amount of money, medicine, or medical attention had been able to fix her disorder. She was at the end of her rope, grasping for anything that had even the slightest chance to heal her. Perhaps it was a normal day when … Read more
In many ways this has been a hard week. I’m still struggling to keep my head above water. There’s always so much to do and I’ve been exhausted. But the week has been good too. I’ve seen improvements in myself and my students. I feel like I’m starting to understand the lingo at school and … Read more
I was sitting at a stoplight, waiting to turn. I was in a mood, discontent, frustrated over why God is taking so long with things, and feeling like a failure for not being more patient and having more faith. God, I wish you would just slap me. That’s what I deserve. You’re too nice and … Read more
Hope is a funny thing, isn’t it? It’s one of those words that’s often hard to define, yet we use it so frequently. Hope is a feeling of expectation that something will happen or a feeling of trust. We often connect hope with something in the future. But God’s been challenging me lately with the … Read more
Shhh…. I’m not very good at shhh-ing. And this week I feel like I’ve failed at this whole idea of resetting. After an awful week last week, I decided that I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to refocus, reset my mind on things that are good and true and be more settled in the … Read more
“The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed…” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18a Unveiled faces… When I hear that phrase, one of the first pictures that comes to mind is that of a bride. … Read more