Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10 NKJV Father, how grateful I am for Your awesome love and that You are with me at this moment when…
The High Price of Nice
The act of being nice has been asked of us since we were tots. Who of us doesn’t remember our parents telling us to “play nice” with our siblings or our kindergarten teacher correcting a misbehaving student, chiding them, “That’s not very nice!”? Being nice is expected of schoolyard kids, adult citizens (well, maybe not…
Be Kind to Yourself
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. – 1 John 4:16 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it…
When Grace Replaces Striving
Have you ever read the familiar verse, Be still and know that I am God. — Psalm 46:10 and wondered: Well, how, then do I manage my chaotic life, my disobedient children, or that project at work that my boss expects me to complete if I want to receive a promotion. Does “cease striving” (as…
Learning to Love People Different Than We Are
How Much Can You Put Up With? Listen, I know it’s hard to embrace someone else’s cultural values. Whether it’s their noise level, the smell and look of their food, their communal gatherings, or the way they look at you, talk, dress, or act, another person’s way of life often feels like a disruption.…
The World’s Worst Neighbor
That’s me. I’m terrible at neighborhood stuff. I’m aware of this. I don’t like it, and I’m trying to change it. Because I’m socially awkward, the last thing I ever want to do is strike up a conversation with the guy walking in the apartment next door. I’ve got nothing to say. I’ve even practiced…
Don’t Forget These Two Things About Loving Your Spouse
I came into marriage thinking that between Song of Songs and the “marriage passages” of the New Testament epistles, we were fully equipped to tackle anything married life threw at us. I was excited to awaken the desires the daughters of Jerusalem had told us to keep a tight rein on until the time was…
The Bright Side of Thinking Before Speaking
The secret of being boring is to say everything. ~ Voltaire A few weeks ago, I had a typical Monday. You know, a lot of making lists and trying to get my week off to a productive start. Although I have to tell you that the only thing that gets me out of bed on…
You’ll Never Regret the Pursuit for More
As I sat in my tiny apartment, tears ran down my hopeless cheeks. My freshly washed, yard sale pot and pan sat upside down draining on my twenty-five cent Goodwill dish rag. I had just tucked my eight-year-old daughter into bed, plopped like a deflated balloon onto a kitchen chair and cried. Is this all…
Gluten-Free Pasta: The Failure of Perfection
We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness, and affection. ~ Brené Brown The congested traffic curved for miles ahead of me, looking like a winding line of red…