“Please, Lord, listen attentively to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me in the presence of this man.” – Nehemiah 1:11 In sports, professional teams often
I turned 32 in January and I have fought my own share of battles. Battles that people ten years older will quake at the magnitude of what I have been through. Sometimes I tease myself, calling myself an old soul. There have been moments I have told God that I
A number of years ago, we had the privilege of living and serving God in Jerusalem for a few months. What a faith-enriching experience it was to walk where Jesus walked and to see what we read in the Gospel accounts of Jesus come to life as we spent
I don’t know about you, but I often find it easier to pray for others than it is to pray for myself. I’ll be in conversation with a friend and they’ll share about an issue with their kid or a sick relative, and I don’t have a problem storming the
Forgiveness is really hard. As fallen humans, it is not our natural response when we are hurt by others. But without forgiveness, bitterness, hatred, and a desire for revenge can arise within us, and they are heavy burdens to carry. While forgiving others is difficult, we can also struggle with
I’m sure many of us are familiar with Proverbs 31, even if you’ve never studied this chapter in-depth before. Perhaps you’ve heard people talking about being a “Proverbs 31 woman” or have seen someone’s social media username as “prov31girl.” Maybe around Mother’s Day, you’ve noticed greeting cards that include a
It’s been quite a while since I was in high school, but I still clearly remember my English Literature teacher emphasizing the importance of how to start a piece of writing, and how to finish well. She insisted that we had to capture the readers’ attention, and then eventually tie
I grew up in a Christian family and knew, from a young age, Christian truths. One of the teachings I’ve learned is the call to worship God. I have always understood this as a kind of grateful attitude towards God and an expression of it during a prayer or worship.
The twisted tale of Jacob and Esau is a train wreck and seems more fit for a daytime talk show than Genesis. But here we are. Genesis 28:3-4 recounts Isaac passing the covenant blessing to his youngest son, Jacob, “May the Sovereign God bless you! May he make you fruitful
The beauty of friendship is being able to share the life God gives you, to have other people with you who can help you enjoy and navigate the life you have here on earth. And friends who are fellow believers are even more amazing because we can help each other