When was the last time you were surprised by Jesus? This thought-provoking question came up recently in our home group Bible study and prompted us to consider that, perhaps, even subconsciously, we have limited God to what we think He can do, how He will work, or how
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes
At times, I feel as if there is no hope for a better tomorrow. There is so much that is broken, and there are so many who are hurting. Usually, in these moments, I end up with more questions than answers. In these moments, I feel what it means to
I sat in the school drop-off line with my daughter the morning after one of her soccer games. We were both weary and frustrated by the outcome of the game, and she was telling me about all the things that didn’t go according to plan. It was an extensive list
When I was in seminary, I worked in a missions office. One of the perks of the job was getting to travel internationally and see what our missionaries were doing in their communities. On one trip, I was in a rural community where the local missionaries and pastors would go
Social media has created some blurred lines and confusion within our society. We can “follow” people that inspire us, while technology allows us the ability to watch lives unfold through a screen we keep in our back pocket. Over time, as we watch the highlight reels, we might feel like
On my kitchen counter you will find two large glass jars filled with colorful slips of paper. My husband placed them side by side next to the coffeemaker a while back, and just looking at them makes me smile. Those dollar store containers hold treasure. Each Sunday during lunch, my
Anger acts like a cloud over our rational thinking and judgement, causing us to easily lose perspective. As a result we often make poor choices when angry. In today’s reading, I think Sarah was not only angry but also felt jealous and regretful. She had just watched Ishmael mock her
Everybody wants to be known. Even if you are an extreme introvert, you want to be known. We want there to be at least one person with whom we can feel so comfortable that we can share anything and everything with them, the good, the bad, and the ugly, without
My daughter came up to me after her swim lesson last summer bursting with excitement to tell me all about her new friend. They had both worked up the courage to talk a little bit while they waited in the pool for their next instruction, and before you could say