-
It Is Okay to Be Ordinary
Is it okay to not make a splash by doing something recognizably great that leads to acclaim and social media notoriety? Why is there so much pressure on girls and women today to be powerful, to start and lead a cause, or to stand out above everyone around them by their success? Are you letting yourself down if you are just an ordinary woman letting God be the one who is extraordinary? Is it okay to be ordinary? That is what we will explore in this post. Not Accomplishing Anything? Several years ago, I read an Engage blog by Tiffany Stein called “Next Steps.” Tiffany wrote about the pressure she…
-
To Hold the Ropes
We are about to transition from our busy spring schedules of graduations and end-of-year activities to an equally busy summer season. Mission trips are a big part of church and ministries’ summer schedule. In preparation for that, I suggest we prepare to “hold the ropes” for those who are venturing on mission adventures, church camps or even just helping in VBS. One of Christianity’s most compelling mission stories is of William Carey, called “the father of the modern missionary movement.” In 1792, William Carey, a poor English shoemaker, felt God’s call to take the gospel to the unreached in India. The mission society of his church appointed him to go,…
-
A Word To The Wise
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Before we get to Rehoboam, lemme tell y’all about his daddy. Solomon was a rolling stone. This dude had 700 wives and 300 girlfriends. Kids: What!?!?!?!? Me: Yes! Put 700 and 300 together. What do you get? Kids: 1000! Me: Yup! Solomon had 1000 random chicks in his life. Girls, let’s be real, can we be extra? Boy: Yes-suh!!!!! Me: Wow. That was passionate. Who hurt you? So Solomon has a bunch women in his life plus he’s considered the wisest man in the world. Kids: What??? Me: This proves wise people do dumb stuff. Solomon had a bunch of kids including Rehoboam. Can you imagine…
-
Guest post: How to Handle Church Hurt
I vaguely remember my parents arguing about some friends from church. I was about 15 and did not know precisely the reason for the argument. I knew only that my mother was distraught. The arguments eventually led to our leaving the church we had attended for nearly eight years. Their friends had deeply hurt them. This was not the only time that happened. Eight years ago, we left the first church our family attended as immigrants to Oman. The pastor had stolen church money, which led to many arguments, and the congregation splintered. The broken relationships caused so much pain, especially for my mother. Some of her friendships have never…
-
Part XIII: The Lord of the Scroll – Daniel’s 70th Week (The Great Tribulation (GTrib))
Very few details are given about the first three and one-half years referred to by Jesus as “The Beginning of Birth Pains.” However, once the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation, the details of the last three and a half years become extensive.
-
Are You Holding On for Dear Life or Living at God’s Speed?
“Learn to live at Godspeed,” Mindy Caliguire taught in the Strengthening Our Soul soul care Collective I participated in this past Spring. Her choice of words immediately brought me back to an illustration God gave me at another time when life was particularly full. I was two years into my ministry with my current agency and the pace of work started picking up. The requests came more frequently and the decisions were harder. “I feel like I’m driving a wagon at full speed and it’s about to take off and drag me behind,” I told some friends, finally able to put words to my feelings. “I could devote more time…
-
Is Comparison Always Bad?
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” I’ve been hearing that for decades. But is it, always? Examples of how true that is, most certainly abound. I recently read my friend Amy’s Facebook account of her college experience. A gifted singer, she was a jazz vocalist major at a university known for its excellent music program. The only problem was that she had a friend and classmate who was so much better than Amy. She used to go home on weekends and bemoan the difference to her parents, asking why they couldn’t be jazz musicians like her friend’s parents. She eventually changed her major to pre-med, which was easier in comparison.…
-
Teaching Kids to Focus on Strengths, Not Weaknesses
We’d all like to be good at everything—I know I would. But the truth is, we all don’t have the same gifting and talents, and unfortunately, we tend to compare our weaknesses to other people’s strengths. And with our current online promotion, social media culture, one can begin to feel bad about themselves because, “I just don’t feel good enough” at a very young age. When our youngest child was six years old, my husband and I put him on a T-ball team. Our whole family played softball, and we thought for sure he’d love it too. My husband, Mike, and I were the coaches. Excitement was in the air…
-
Part XII: The Lord of the Scroll – Daniel’s 70th Week (The Beginning of Birth Pains (BBP))
What is the “Tribulation Period?“ One of the most frequently used terms concerning future events and the church’s Rapture is “tribulation.” This, in turn, leads to a discussion of the Great Tribulation, its significance, and its duration.
-
A Journey to the U.S. Mexican Border
In April I took at trip to the San Diego border with Women of Welcome in partnership with World Relief. When I returned, my friends asked me how it was, and I couldn’t find an answer to that question with a word or phrase. It was an overwhelming trip. Many asked what we did while we were there, and I decided that the only way to answer was by writing from my heart: What did we do? We saw; we listened; we learned; we cried; and we prayed. We saw in Tijuana– We listened– We learned– Thus, we cried and prayed– God commands His people to “practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13),…
