We have been spending the last couple weeks looking at the Christmas carol, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” In the first week, we saw how the first verse of the carol commanded us to “join the triumph of the skies” by proclaiming Christ to everyone, near and far. In the second week, we saw how …
Hark! and worship, part two.
We all love a good birth announcement. Social media is filled with pictures of newborns, announcing names and genders and health, and these posts are immediately smothered in likes and loves and hugs. But there was one birth announcement that trumps all other birth announcements, one that we keep talking and singing about, and that …
Hark! and worship.
It’s officially post-Thanksgiving, which means that whether yours is a family that listens to Christmas music year-round, turns it on after Halloween, or strictly adheres to the “No Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving OR ELSE” rule, it’s likely that our houses are all, at this moment, filled with familiar Christmas tunes.But how many …
Innocent Distractions
My son recently turned two, and the majority of my days surrounding his birthday were filled with errands and endless tasks prepping for the celebration and a weekend away from home. The whole week felt chaotic, and the morning before our trip, I thought for sure I would lose it, scrambling to somehow get everything …
Christ and competitors for our affections
It was a Saturday morning. I sat poking through my Bible, aimlessly reading some Scripture, hoping to accomplish some Jesus time so I could next scroll through Pinterest. And then I read the first couple verses of John. “In him was life” (John 1:4). I paused and sighed. Of course it is - life is …
Continue reading "Christ and competitors for our affections"
Worship – The Best Advice
“You’re gonna have to worship your way through.” It really wasn’t even part of the sermon. Pastor Joby Martin was just recounting a conversation with a staff member walking through a hard time, and that was his advice. The Lord God, Yahweh, Adonai, Elohim. He is the same today, yesterday and forever. And he is …
His Presence
Think back to when you were a young kid. Did you ever have any nightmares? Do you remember how it felt to wake up in the middle of the night, filled with fear? Eyes shocked wide open, heart pounding, forehead damp. What did you do? If you were very young, you likely did one of …
The God who is with us. Always.
When everything fades to black... A failed marriage. Another miscarriage. Hurricane devastation. Medical diagnosis. It’s everywhere. Maybe it’s a single moment where the bottom drops out, or maybe it’s a slow fade, but none of us are exempt from these deep dark valleys. I can write all day about the goodness of God or his …
Did I Just Mess Up My Life?
“God knew you would struggle with this,” she told me. I was in well over my head and had felt completely at a loss. What if I messed this whole thing up? I think a lot of us fear ruining pieces of our lives - maybe we can’t get the clarity we want on God’s …
Evil for Good
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them …
Soaking in the Son 