-
When Life Gets Hard, Take a Step
I think most of us would agree. The past two years haven’t been our best ones. Death and disease flood our newsfeeds. Disaster and destruction shock us far too frequently. Chaos and questions keep us unsettled. Just when we think life is returning to a normal pace, another unwelcomed surprise forces us to change course, adjust, delay. For someone who thrives on consistently, I often wonder where the routine has gone. But as I reflect over the past year, I see one main theme emerge in my life—take a step. For the first part of 2021 a black cloud seemed to hover over my existence. Fear kept me wondering what…
-
Dwell on the Good That God Did in 2020
I have seen an epidemic of regrets on the internet, in blogs, and on social media about the year 2020. Yes, we had an epidemic that infected some of our loved ones and instigated social distancing. Yes, many lost their jobs and their familiar in-person social gatherings. Yes, hardships and challenges and distress abounded in our country and around the world. I am not discounting the pain that happened. Grief is very real because of all that happened in 2020. But, did God hide in a cave all year? Wasn’t He still working in the hearts and lives of everyone who called on Him, and even some who didn’t?! We…
-
Daring to Hope in 2021
No one misses 2020: the ultimate year of loss for our generation. But as the chapter page turned to 2021, I wondered how I could muster up hope. So I decided to go back to the basics of spiritual renewal: creating and committing to a healthy rhythm of life. We all have different passions and interests, but the need for healthy rhythms remains universal.
-
Releasing Expectations
Snowflakes fall silently from the sky as bright-eyed little faces peer out frost-covered windows. Best friends gather around a candlelit table, dishes clanking, laughter wafting in the air. Family members from far away places knock at your door, excitement erupting into hugs and hellos the moment you welcome them inside. An ideal Christmas is easy to imagine. But it’s hard to live out. Despite what commercials portray and Facebook depicts, life’s celebrations are often far from perfect. Our children misbehave at the worst possible moment. Our plans get altered at the last minute. Our family’s disfunction erupts at the table. If there’s anything I’m learning this Christmas season, it’s to…
-
Stop Saying Christianity Doesn’t Make You Happy
This week, a Gallup Poll has reported pretty dismal mental health ratings, adding to a year full of statistics about depression, suicide, porn, stress and substance abuse. 2020 stinks, and the world doesn’t know how to handle it. So can we please stop adding to the problem by saying that Christianity doesn’t make Christians happy? I know, I know. When we say this, we’re trying to explain that we–and our happiness–aren’t the point. We’re reminding one another that our faith doesn’t protect us from life in a broken world. We’re saying that the abiding joy in Christ is substantially different than flurries of happiness that may come. These theological truths…
-
Preparing Our Hearts for Advent: Hope Has Come, Hope is Coming
By Victoria Monet* Even though Thanksgiving has yet to come, many people are already putting up their Christmas trees and decorations. Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving usually happens, but this year, it seems that people are trying to get in the Christmas Spirit even earlier. And can we blame them? It’s been a rough year. In addition to facing a global pandemic that’s affected many people’s physical, mental, and financial health, we’ve also had to process the tragic reality of police brutality against African Americans, the surfacing of racial tensions, and one of the most intense, heated elections in American history. We’ve felt anxious, scared, sad, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Many of…
-
Has 2020 been crazy or what?
Isn’t it weird that 2020 seems so out of control? Does this mean that God is preparing us for the end times, or has he officially got the ball rolling on that? Is this just another year that we will look back at and say, “boy that 2020 was a crazy year?” or will we forget this year even happened except when it’s brought up in conversation or on the History Channel? Is 2020 a year of correction from God designed to remind us that He’s still in charge? I’ve asked all of these questions and I think I have the answer to them all and the answer is probably…YES! I have to…
