A friend has hurt you and you’re struggling with bitterness. You’re finding it hard to forgive much less be nice to her. A relationship has ended and you’re finding it hard to move on. You gave so much of yourself and you feel betrayed and deeply wounded. A coworker is unbearable to work with. It’s like they go out of their way to criticize or undermine you at every turn. They spread lies about you, but always play the victim. A family member has proved difficult to be around and is hard to like. They give back-handed compliments and are out right rude at times. “People are crazy.” It’s from a song and it’s true. We are! I say we but really, you know who I mean…them. The people who drive us

A Messy Christian is… Someone who holds steadfast to God’s word until the water gets too deep and she starts swimming to the shore. Drowning and desperate she behaves in ways that are not worthy of her God’s daughter status, so he rescues her yet again setting her calmly on the shore revealing how he was there the whole time if she had just trusted Him a little longer. She promises that next time she won’t forget and is thankful for her God’s faithfulness even when she isn’t. A Messy Christian is… Someone who worships God with her whole heart, hands held high because she knows what it is to sit in church for years and years and hold back her full heart from God and she’s never going back the

Here’s to the girl who is loud for she will loudly proclaim the goodness of God. Here’s to the girl who is quiet for she will silently ponder His mysteries. Here’s to the girl who is silly for she will find joy in the little things. Here’s to the girl who is curious for she will uncover the secrecies of His world. Here’s to the girl who is brave for she will find her strength. Here’s to the girl who is cautious for she will grow in her confidence. Here’s to the girl who is pure of heart for she will see God in all things. Here’s to the girl who is brazen for she will live a bold and unabashed life for Her king. Here’s to the girl who is sweet for she will gratify kindness. Here’s to the girl

What does it really mean when someone says follow your heart? Does it mean follow your feelings? I think for many of us it does. But, I don’t believe following our feelings is central to making our best decisions. They simply should not dictate every decision we make. If they do, then you are probably pretty miserable right now. I know this because whenever we strictly follow our feelings we can get in a world of mess. Sometimes we feel fed up, so we want to quit. Sometimes we feel angry and we lash out. Sometimes, rather than going through the hard stuff, we want things to just be easy so we walk away and give up. Sometimes we get offended and we feel like treating others the exact same way

‘Tis the season of hope. But when’s the last time you really hoped in the Lord? I’m sure we’ve all fretted in the Lord. Complained in the Lord. Worried in the Lord. But, as believers, we are to HOPE in the Lord. When we are having a hard time and we don’t think we can do hard things… When we are feeling overwhelmed and can’t figure out how we can possibly handle any more… When we are discouraged and nothing seems to be panning out the way we had planned… When the kids are running around like maniacs and we don’t think we’re the right person for the job of raising them…. We can encourage ourselves in the Lord. We can grab a hold of REAL hope! And this is not some flimsy publisher’s clearing h

A few months ago, I had a huge unglued moment. Our washer of twelve years needed replacing and so I went to Home Depot and picked out a new and improved one. It was a high efficiency, top loader with a see-through top. It was supposed to be one of the best and I wanted to buy one that would last as long as our old one did. I was told two things before I left the store. First, we would have to wait a week before it would be delivered. I was not happy about this because I do laundry almost every day. But it was a minor inconvenience in light of not having one at all, so I thought I’d make due. Second, I was told very clearly that if upon delivery we wanted to return the washer because it didn’

Harlot. Prostitute. Sex worker. This was the life of Rahab. A woman living in the city of Jericho. A city known for its idol worship. A city the Bible says was a wicked and corrupt society. We don’t really know the circumstances which led to Rahab becoming a prostitute. Perhaps she was born into it. Perhaps her only choices to make money were prostitute or beggar. Perhaps she had to do whatever she could to provide for her mother and father. We don’ know. But, we can imagine that as she serviced the men who would come in and out of her daily life, she was not living the life she would’ve wanted. The life that other women enjoyed. The life of wife and mother. The life of caretaker to those sh

So many times we are an IF people. I will love God, IF he does what I ask. I will follow God, IF it’s not too uncomfortable. I will trust God, IF he provides me with the blueprints. But God wants to make us into EVEN IF people. I will love God, EVEN IF I don’t get my way. I will follow God, EVEN IF it’s hard and humbling. I will trust God, EVEN IF the storm rages and I can’t see in front of me. This is the story of Esther. A woman who went from being an IF person to an EVEN IF person. King Ahasuerus, who ruled 127 provinces from India to Cush, was a very wealthy king. He had a haram of women, but he also had a queen, Queen Vashti. One day during a weeks long party, he summoned her to appear

“Mom, how did you learn to be a mommy?” “Gee, I don’t know. You just become one.” That’s about as wise of an answer I can give at seven in the morning. But I guess you start learning the moment you find out your expecting. Or does it begin way before that. When you’re a little girl and your own mom gives you little pieces of left over dough to make your own pies like hers. And you fill them with strawberry jam and she stuffs them in the oven right alongside hers. You learn early on that being a mommy means always making room for your children. The moment you find out your pregnant, your body starts making room for someone else. It makes since that this new life would grow and consume so much