I am not a fan of conflict. I would much rather take the blame or endure harsh words or put my feelings aside in order to avoid facing conflict with someone. I recognize that this is not a healthy response. Scripture calls us to engage in biblical conflict resolution (Romans
One of my favorite things to watch is The Olympic Games. Every time the Olympics come around, there is always a story about an athlete giving up the potential for gold in order to help another athlete. During a race or an event, an athlete will fall or get hurt,
Have you ever gotten praise for something you didn’t do or didn’t help with? Maybe you received compliments for an event you were helping with at church, but you simply showed up on the day and didn’t help with any of the pre-work. Maybe you were the person that didn’t
Have you ever watched a movie that has a plot twist you didn’t see coming? It always takes you by surprise. You may even be tempted to go back and rewatch the movie to find the clues that you missed. Here in Luke 5, the Pharisees are having a plot
College (American) football is a big deal in the South. I grew up in the southern part of the United States, and I went to a very large state school for college. Every Saturday in the fall was dedicated to football. Droves of people would emerge to our sleepy college
Have you ever had a moment where you find yourself in a place and think, “I can’t believe I’m here”? Maybe it’s a dream vacation you’ve been saving up for. Maybe it’s a concert or performance you’ve always wanted to go to. Or maybe it’s time with friends or family
“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
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
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
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.