In Matthew 19, there is a popular story about a rich man who approaches Jesus, asks about eternal life and confirms all the commandments he has been following. He then asks, ‘“What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you …
Eyes to See
I remember a time in my life believing “the rules” of Christianity were too much. God really wants a tithe, 10% of my money? And if I wanted to be generous, I had to give more than that? Or when someone told me they studied their Bible before church, I thought, so now going to …
Following Him
My church recently moved into a beautiful new building, and the first Sunday was incredibly special. So many hours, so many hands of help, and so much heart went into creating a space to worship God and welcome people into a deeper relationship with Him. I sat in back, in direct view of the house …
Naaman
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA If 2 Kings 5 was written about me, it would go something like this: Now there was a college girl named Jen. She was an expert at T9 texting and loved talking to friends on AIM. She had spent years walking with the Lord and seeing his hand of power, but now …
The height from which I’ve fallen
11/24/2009 - Lord… How are you here?? How are you with me? How are you my strength? How are you GOOD when this world is so bad and I am so hurt? College had some rough patches for me. Growing up in a Christian home, I had always known God. In middle school, when the …
The Gospel
Of course, of all the examples of God’s provision, the greatest is Jesus. Of course, right? Then why do I feel like I too often have to convince myself? I’ve been struggling with this lately - believing I don’t need God. And not needing God breeds apathy. I know my Bible pretty well, I'm saved …
When it doesn’t work out
I know. It isn’t always so simple. Praying with requests and thanksgiving may not lead to instant peace. And just because you pray about something doesn’t mean God will automatically bend an outcome in your favor. So then what? Months back, I was sensing a nudge to take action on something, but I was hesitant. …
A story
One summer night, I was washing dishes and thinking about the weekend ahead. We were planning to head to my in-laws, and my husband and I were in a bit of disagreement as to when we would travel. He wanted to go Friday night; I wanted to leave Saturday morning. I started scrubbing dishes harder …
The invitation
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA I teach the elementary kids on Sundays, and the other week, we were studying Mark Chapter 6, the story of Jesus feeding 5000. I take teaching very seriously, so naturally, I jump to the most important aspect and hit up Piggly Wiggly to buy 5000 pretzels for the cheapest visual I could …
The Journey Begins
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on …
Soaking in the Son 