Making Space for Lament
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Do you feel like the world is falling apart?
It’s a story that spans throughout history. A broken world in need of a savior.
While we as Christians have our hope in Christ, we neglect our souls if we hold onto that hope with a shallow faith. We must go deeper.
Kindness
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 ESV
It started in kindergarten. Daily, the boy next to me would motion like scissors cutting at his tongue, telling me the teachers would cut out my tongue if I talked during nap time.
Faith and Hope in the Waiting
Romans 15:13 ~ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
People sometimes ask me why I smile so much. Honestly, I spent time many years ago on the dark side of that smile. A time when I felt little to no hope.* A time referred to spiritually as “The Wall.”
Perseverance, Grace, and Good Enough
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
I’ve set a goal to read through the Bible from cover to cover in 2023. As I recently sat on my couch and read a few chapters, I looked at the date of where I am versus where I "should be." I felt a little pang of guilt when I realized I'm about a week behind.
A Purposeful 2023
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12: 30-31 (NIV)
The Gift of Presence
Completely spaced out, I was on the phone with one of my kids as I continued to type on the keyboard, organizing things for the holidays. I tend to forget things if I close them, so I have this bad habit of keeping multiple tabs open as I search for presents, recipes, and planning documents.
Sorry, hon, what did you say?
Removing the Blindfold
“That moment marked the beginning of a journey of understanding just how vast God’s love is for us. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t see a boundary. No mountains, no tree line, nothing separating the ocean from the sky. They seemed to go on forever.” Read more online!
Spiritual Discipline of Friendship
Our recent Be-You-Tea-Full Thrift-Tea Fashion Show featured models from teens throughout adulthood, and also included a precious preschooler. This was intentional, because we want to create a safe space in which every woman, no matter what age or season they’re in, feels welcome and loved. Where intergenerational spiritual friendships can be nourished to grow and thrive.
Grief, Grace, Growth, and Gratitude
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 NIV
Have you ever ripped a bandage off a wound too soon? Not only does it start bleeding again, but yanking those hairs out by the roots is a level of pain all of its own.
Maybe we need to get to the root of our pain in order to heal.
