Jesus
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How Do We Begin Again?
Where to begin? Isn’t that everyone’s question right now? Maybe we’re not asking the right question. Maybe the appropriate question is how do we begin again? I find it funny that the longer I walk with Jesus, the more complicated life can get. Beautiful. Tragic. Life. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” My parents echoed this quote during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. And it still rings true today. Sickness. Disaster. Division. Racism. Violence. Hatred. Lawlessness. The symptoms of the fall of man are flaring, and the earth is groaning for a Savior. People are walking around with all kinds of hurt. My black brothers and sisters are fighting…
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What a Disney Princess Taught Me About Faith
Am I the only one who’s so excited for all of these new Disney live-action movies? I absolutely loved Aladdin and the Cinderella remake that came out a few years ago. But the Disney remake I am most excited for (and nervous about, to be honest) is The Little Mermaid. Ariel has always been one of my favorite princesses, but for all of these years I never really questioned why. Then one day a dear friend and I discussed Disney princesses and the influence they hold over children. She pointed out that Ariel was quite flawed. I mean, she’s a 16 year old mermaid who trades her voice and basically…
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The Promise of His Presence
Why is it that you can seem to have everything, and yet feel so empty and alone? This world promises us happiness and fulfillment in so many ways: money, relationships, jobs, new experiences–the list goes on. The Hollow Promise But what happens when that’s not enough? What about that hollow feeling? The one tugging at you, making you work until your knuckles bleed, so you can forget that it’s there. The hollowness that leaks out as tears as you lie awake in bed at night. The hollow feeling that makes people cut, starve, and lash out at others? This post isn’t pretty, but it’s real and raw. Because I’ve been…
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3 Lessons Karate Taught Me About Jesus
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of watching Owen, my fiance, practice karate. He’s a black belt, which absolutely blows me away. His passion for martial arts and learning new things is so inspiring, and I felt honored to be able to watch him in his element. Although some people may consider me graceful, athleticism is not something the Lord has gifted me in. So I was in awe watching Owen and his friends as they showed off their skills. There are several lessons I’ve learned from watching just that one hour of practice. There were moments when the teacher (called a sensei) corrected his students or gave…
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Turning on the Light in a Dark World
Several weeks ago, it was a high school in Parkland, Florida. Yesterday, it was a high school in Maryland. These school shootings are happening all over America. Innocent kids and teachers are dying or suffering from scarring physical and mental injuries. And our response is a chaotic mess of noise. We blame guns. We blame mental illness. We blame politicians. Perhaps there is fault in all of these things. We can certainly do better. But what if it’s something more? Where is God? When tragedies like these happen, our first response is usually to send our thoughts and prayers. Of course, this is a loving and powerful thing to do,…
