This Year is Different
Last year was a hard year. The tumultuous divisive political climate created a fog that suffocated the joy of God’s gifts in my life. Throughout the year, I forgot that God has given me joy and peace and that I can choose to partake in those gifts.
Thankful for this Stage of Life
I was coasting. I knew I was coasting. I felt depressed, less than and I was blaming my stage of life. This new stage of life, this new circumstance, that I had prayed for, I had begged for, this circumstance, to be a Mom, which God had graciously given me, was making me feel less.
The Spiritual Disciplines of Advent
A righteous priest enters the temple—the holy place of the Lord. As people pray outside, he lights incense and begins to pray. And in the dwelling place of God, this priest comes face to face with an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, who foretells that he will have a son, taking away the shame of his barren wife.
Am I Ready?
I’m still reeling from the Alabama election. I was elated when Alabama citizen's didn’t elect a racist man accused of pedophilia as senator. However, when I realized the sheer number of Christians who voted for Roy Moore, my elation was quickly dampened.
The bride of Christ is supposed to be the healing balm in our world. The church is called to usher Jesus’ kingdom here.
Embrace the Wonder
My church celebrates Advent with the lighting of a candle on the Advent wreath every Sunday. Each Sunday, a family stands up front to lead us in God's Word. The children, rather than the parents, read out what the candle means.
The Story Isn’t About You
I love being the center of attention. However, when I think my life is about me, I limit my ability to see the life God has called me to and I stop myself from having the courage to follow him on an amazing adventure.
A False War
It’s not about believing the women, it’s about the lie that we are at war. In a war, you work with imperfect people and ideas to win. You're willing drop the first nuclear bomb, killing millions, creating a weapon that threatens the human race, to save millions. In a war, you work with evil people to stop evil people. Wars provide excuses to slip on blinders so that you can focus on the “common good.”
Don’t Be a Flake
“The kindest thing you can ever say is no.”
The first time I heard that, I laughed. I hate saying no.
So instead I say yes to everything. But when I say yes to everything, my insincere "yes" robs me of integrity. Let me explain.
Part of a Larger Story
Like a good series, the individual episodes of our lives weave together into a larger story. Writers of good television shows know where the show is going. Every episode builds towards a common story line. When a writer doesn’t have a clear road map of the where the story is going, episodes stick out because it appears that they are not building towards a common goal.
Growing Up in Saudi Arabia
I was in sixth grade and living in Saudi Arabia when terrorists bombed the Al Khobar Tower there. I felt the blast shake the neighborhood where I was babysitting at the time. When the smoke cleared from the building, where many kids from my elementary school lived, 19 Americans were dead, and nearly 500 people from many countries were injured. I am now living in the U.S., and expecting a baby in just a few weeks. Over the last few months, I’ve watched terrorist attacks unfold in Beirut, Lebanon, in downtown Paris, and in San Bernardino, California. But here’s why I, as a pregnant, pale-skinned, freckled, blue-eyed, American woman who speaks with a Southern accent, am not afraid of Muslims, either for myself or for my husband and our child.