For a long time, I didn’t think it was OK to have a vent session with God. It felt disrespectful and weird. However, now I know that not only am I permitted to take all my problems to Him, but that He wants me to do this as a way of drawing closer to Him.
Read MoreI don’t need to be in church to feel close to God, I’d always say to justify why I didn’t attend church much in my twenties. What I’ve learned about why that’s not true—and why I need fellowship.
Read MoreWhen we feel joy, it should spread through us and not stop. Our joy in the Lord should explode—into a smile, into our eyes, and keep going! Our whole body should radiate that love and light! Our joy doesn’t depend on emotion—it isn’t rooted in happiness or mere feelings. We can feel joy even in our darkest, most painful hours.
Read MoreDependence can be viewed as a sign of weakness. But when it comes to our relationship with God, depending on God leads to about strength. God makes us strong with His power. As the apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
Read MoreThinking about the Bible’s Joshua, told by God to recite his instructions day and night, reminds me of the theater scripts I’d labor over as a teen. Back then, I’d recite my lines until they were second-nature. If I got stage fright, I didn’t have to worry—all those long weeks of reciting just took over, no problem. What if I did that with the Bible, too?
Read MoreI learned an important truth in an insanely busy season: I can’t worry much about my own problems and stresses if I’m too busy taking care of others. How embracing “service over self” helped me find happiness and learn to love God better.
Read MoreA more important talk: How to help our kids understand how not to be racist and learn to love all despite difference.
Read MoreI hurt, and I should. We are the body of Christ, and yet because of racism, hate, and other evil, we are broken. On doing my part to speak up in love and witness, to help break down barriers and build bridges wherever and whenever I possibly can.
Read MoreGod has a plan for us. Maybe we know the plan outright, or sense His guiding, and we follow the course for a while. Then things happen—temptation or doubt turn our gaze, and the side roads seem more appealing. We stumble into the lie. But take heart: It’s not too late. We’re never too far off-course to come back to God.
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