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Faith that Moves
The follow post first appeared in the spring issue of Girlz 4 Christ magazine. I felt burdened to write it after moving at the end of last year and hope it will be a blessing to you, in whatever stage or place you find yourself. For more encouragement and inspiration on godly topics for teen girls, visit Girlz 4 Christ online. Moving. I can’t decide what I like least about it: getting the boxes, packing, or unpacking. Getting the boxes (if you’re thrifty like me) can involve borderline dumpster diving or soliciting the local grocery store. I felt like a puppy begging for food when I asked the clerk if she had…
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3 Freeing Truths to Fight Busyness
If you’ve been joining me here for a while, you might remember my keyword for 2017: Simplicity. How’s that going for me? I’ll admit: not the way I’d planned. Truth is that I’m busier than ever. In fact, each month adds something new to my never-ending list. Maybe you can relate. How do we fight against the bully of busyness? I wish I could outline three steps to a simpler life, but I’m on this journey with you. However, here are some freeing truths I’m discovering that may help us keep life in perspective. #1: My best doesn’t have to be perfect. Oh, trust me, I want it to be. I…
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Street Stewardship: Our Calling and God’s Commission
As some of you know, I moved at the end of last year. After the mad rush to pack, clean, shuffle, and then repeat, I’ve settled into a cozy little place. And a bit of complacency. Do I really need to paint that room? Nope. Can I live without a pull-down attic access? Yep. Gutters? Maybe this summer. There’s nothing wrong with catching a break from home improvement projects. There is, however, a problem with complacency in other aspects of stewardship. Yes, stewardship. A home is a blessing, a burden, and an opportunity all wrapped in one. I’m not only responsible for my home itself but also for what surrounds it.…
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Trust and Obey
My grandmother’s favorite hymn was “Trust and Obey.” As a little girl, I liked the hymn just because she did. Now that she’s gone, its beautiful simplicity and her memory endear it even more to me. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus. Sometimes, however, that faith gets tried with fire. As a missionary wife and mother, my grandmother experienced death threats against her husband, buried her firstborn son in South America, and before her own home-going much later in life, suffered the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s. Trust and obey? Last week, author and teacher Dr. Dennis E. Hensley or “Doc Hensley” served as keynote…
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The Path of Resistance
Last week, I went biking on a particularly windy day. Starting down the trail, my dirt bike raced along without much effort on my part. The return home, however, was not such a breeze. With head down, I peddled hard into the wind and made much slower progress. My thighs started to burn. Resistance brings pressure, sweat, and sometimes pain; I’m not just talking about the kind that comes from biking into the wind. Life presents us with resistance. In school, we have to work hard and figure out teacher expectations to earn good grades. In our jobs, we might have to deal with unpleasant customers, co-worker conflicts, or project deadlines. Good relationships…
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Giving God Your Future: A Review & Giveaway
The title of this Women of Faith Bible study immediately grabbed my attention. Since I was a teenager, I’ve wondered about God’s will, how to know it, and how to live it out each day. After all, doing God’s will today determines where I’ll find myself tomorrow. Although my desire was in the right place, my motivation wasn’t. I mistakenly thought if I followed the straight and narrow, I’d be able to better manage my life with fewer surprises. Instead, God’s will sometimes means I have just enough light to see the next step. For a planner like me, that’s been hard. (If you can relate, chapter 3 “It’s My Life”…
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Ordinary People, Abundant Power
Have you noticed a common thread among superheroes? They have lowly origins, rise to unlikely greatness, and often have Achilles’-heel-like weaknesses. Think about it. Spiderman was a whimpy teenager until a spider bit him. Captain America couldn’t even meet the enlistment requirements. Superman was superhuman unless kryptonite came into the picture. Does anyone remember I-Man? My brothers liked this movie from the 80s, so I watched it many times in my childhood. I-Man breathed extraterrestrial space dust that made him virtually unstoppable. But if he were left in the dark, his cells would die, and well, so would he. He also had a penchant for stealing all the cream for…
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If You Could Be a Superhero
If you could be a superhero(ine), what would your super power be? A while back, our youth pastor challenged the teens in youth group to design their own biblical superhero, complete with name, super power, theme song, icon, etc. Our high school girls created a superheroine they called Proverbs 31derwoman. I was so impressed with their idea, organized in such a short amount of time, that I asked some of them if they would be willing to tell us more about it here. I’m excited that they said yes! For the next two weeks, you’re going to hear from Ashley, Hannah, and Victoria as they share what their heroine can teach…
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2017 Keyword: Simplicity
Looking ahead holds such hope and excitement, but before we talk about the New Year, we should take a moment to look back and be thankful for all God has done. My word for 2016 was convergence, and the idea was to move toward a central goal or purpose. As I think back over all that God has done, I see how He guided, not as I expected, but oh so much better. Gratitude for 2016 Most unexpectedly, He opened a new job teaching online for an outstanding private Christian school. He’s surrounded me with godly leadership, a lead teacher I admire and count as a good friend, and co-teachers who…
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Christmas Craft: Scripture Promises Mason Jar
What do you give the person who has everything? Here’s one idea for adding a personal touch to your Christmas gifts. The best part is you can make it yourself! Earlier this year, a friend gave me a gift that has meant so much to me. It was a purple mason jar, adorned simply with a ribbon, and inside were 100 paper slips, each personalized with a Scripture promise and my name. I kept the jar on my desk by my laptop, and each morning, I would pull out a slip. Scripture is full of promises that offer hope and reminders that God has a perfect plan for our lives. As the holidays…
