Author: Emily Hope

The Blessing of Confession

“I’ve got it.” This is my most used sentence when someone offers to help me with a task. Though clearly I am struggling and trying to do too much, I think that I can handle things on my own. I am clearly walking in figurative darkness and am blind to

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The Gospel Changes Everything

Growing up, my parents had a few phrases they would repeat. One that my mom used frequently was, “There’s never a reason to be unkind.” As a teenager, I found this repeated refrain to be annoying, but I knew the value in it (even if I didn’t want to say

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Gifts of Grace

My husband has the gift of encouragement. It seems as if every time he speaks, his words build others up. I always thought I was an encourager of others, that is, until we got married. I quickly saw what it looks like to continually use words of affirmation. What I

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Generous Living

More. We use this word quite often. We always want more of something. For me, it’s time. I want more time with that loved one. More time get the to-do list done. More time to rest. Time is ever escaping, yet it is what I desire. We always want more.

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The Battle is Won

  I am not a fan of scary movies. Of the few that I have seen, I spend the entire time anxious because I see danger around every corner, in addition to people making unwise and dangerous choices. I don’t like the feeling of being on high alert, waiting on

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Ingredients of the Christian Faith

As a former elementary educator, I always loved being able to teach my students about plant growth. The children would be so excited to see how with just a few things like a seed, soil, water, and sunlight, a beautiful plant would grow. It felt almost like magic to them.

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Faithful Track Record

Marco! Polo! If you’ve ever played the children’s game of Marco Polo, you know the excitement or anticipation of trying not to be caught while yelling “Polo.” For the person who is “it,” who is Marco, it can be a wearisome task. You have to rely on your senses apart

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Hold Nothing Back

It seems as if one of the first words a child says is “mine.” Most of the time, it’s not taught, but they seem to internalize it very quickly. Why? All of us are plagued with sin, and it is apparent from our earliest days on earth. We are selfish

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Seek First God’s Kingdom

Depend on Him Above All Else Autumn is my favorite time of year. Growing up, my family would take a yearly trip to the mountains to view the changing leaves. We would spend the day hiking and, once we reached the peak, see a sea of red, yellow, and orange

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The Vine

“I can do it myself. Don’t worry about me.”  These words have set the tone for more of my days than I’d care to admit. I like to consider myself a strong, independent woman. And although there is nothing wrong with this mindset, these thoughts of determined independence can bleed

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