COVID-19 and all the shelter-at-home ordinances and cancelled events and lay-offs has led to many people spending a lot of extra time at home…with–one would hope–loved ones. But for many, the increased time with family members didn’t lead to deeper relationships but to divorce. During COVID, divorce rates increased 34%. Sadly, many people just couldn’t […]
The Dangers of Romans 13 Overshadowing the Rest of the New Testament’s Message
We are all capable–and probably do–of taking Scripture out of context or making one passage more weighty than another. Even Satan himself used the Words of God to try to lure Jesus in the wilderness. The best way to interpret Scripture is with Scripture. If a message seems to go against the theme threaded through the whole Gospels, we probably need to keep reading.
What I Learned Over the Ten Days: A Peek Into my Spiritual Journal
I hesitated to even share this information publicly, because Jesus encourages us to keep our prayers and fasting private, not a banner we wave for all to see. And yet, we see throughout Scripture how the disciplines and courage of the saints is recorded to edify and exhort the Church to keep on keeping on […]
Saying Goodbye to the Celebrities
Cancelled TV shows, film sets closed down, sports barely played, and through it all, I’ve said, “What’s to miss?” Another lesson of 2020 is this: we don’t need our celebrities to survive…or even flourish. We need to realize this truth within the church as well. Where are the bold and courageous leaders now? Where are […]
The Danger of Overvalued Beauty
As a teenager, I craved attention–especially from guys–and tried to wear short skirts and tight shirts that attracted their eyes my direction (without being too revealing–I was a PK after all). Even though I wasn’t allowed to date, I still wanted to be wanted–craved to know I was appealing to the opposite sex. I carried […]
Brace Yourself, for the Worst is Yet to Come…
I don’t know when I started consciously verbalizing this prayer, but “Come, Lord, Jesus. Bring revival” has stirred my heart for some time. I know that echoes the prayer of many believers. As the year progresses and we see evil increase, our discernment and desire should rise as well. Last year I read a Tony […]
The Freedom of Open Hands
My family and I moved this month. Four weeks ago when we put our house on the market, we weren’t certain our house would sell or even what we would do long-term if it did. We knew we’d have a roof overhead and warm beds, but we weren’t exactly sure what God’s next step would […]
Looking Into the Dark: Is Sex Trafficking a Threat to Yours?
When I was a teenager (maybe in the 14-15-years), my family went to the beach for vacation and spent an evening walking the Florida coast. In a search for seashells and maybe some autonomy, I walked several paces ahead of my parents and brothers. In fact, from the outside, it would hardly seem that I […]
Humility + Courage
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”― Thomas JeffersonGovernor Newsom (CA) has taken a stance of religious prejudice against churches, declaring the singing and chanting within a church is illegal. The over-reaching evil of power-hungry governors and mayors has shown American citizens just how far they are willing to go (as long as they meet no […]
Well-Fed When Starving
Last night, my daughter wanted to make a Greek meal. Like most ideas, I don’t know where the thought originated, but if it comes to her mind, it tries to find a way to materialize tangibly. My husband and I love gyros, hummus, olives, and all things bread and olive oil, so of course, I […]