How to Make a Neurotic Chick
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. —Psalm 73:26 On a blustery January day in Central New York, I sat in the backseat of my then brother-in-law’s car, as he and my sister drove me back to Ithaca College, where I was in my sophomore year. I had my headphones on, listening to a mixtape a friend had made me for the ride to and from campus to my hometown. My eyes were either closed or staring out the window, but perpetually holding back tears. My sister [...]
To Live in Quiet and Peace
When our leaders rule with integrity, when the rule of law is followed, and when justice is being properly applied, social peace can flourish. One of the greatest joys and blessings of being an author is hearing about the ways your work impacts others. All of the emails, texts, cards, and conversations I’ve had with readers are stored up in my heart, reminding me of why I wrote One Nation Under God: to encourage my sisters in Christ. A few months ago, a reader emailed me and shared that she’d been distressed about a recent decision made by [...]
Ain’t No Cure for the Summertime Blues?
The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. —Psalm 74:16–17 It’s hard for me to believe, but today is the first day of my children’s summer vacation. Many of my mom friends with older children told me that once my kids started school, the years would fly by. However, I didn’t know exactly what they meant until my oldest entered kindergarten. My friends were absolutely right! The beginning of summer often leads me to [...]
Seeking More Peace? There’s an App for That!
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations I will be exalted in the earth! —Psalm 46:10 Anyone who knows me is aware that I am very high energy—always thinking, talking, moving—and that I often struggle with anxiety. Thus, practices and tools that help me slow down, both mentally and physically, are always a welcome addition in my life. So this week, I’m delighted to share an interview with one of my friends, Jennifer Smith McDonald. Among her many accomplishments, she recently founded the Peace app, a Scripture-based meditation program that [...]
Mother’s Day: It’s Complicated
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates. —Proverbs 31:31 For many of us, Mother’s Day is complicated. I had two mothers in my life. My biological mother gave birth to me when she was sixteen years old, and she relinquished custody of me when I was three years old. From that moment on, my mother was my grandmother’s half-sister who, along with her husband, was granted legal custody of me. (My grandmother and guardian had different fathers. And yes, pretty much every relationship in my family is [...]
Sometimes, It Is About Us
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. —1 John 1:10 I’ll be the first to admit that I’m completely biased in my esteem of my husband’s sermons. He’s a man of few words, and his sermons are no exception. On average, they’re one single-spaced piece of paper, front and back. Those two pages are packed with deep exegesis, evidence of his rigorous and thorough preparation process, which involves translating that week’s Scripture readings, consulting multiple commentaries, reading what the early church fathers and Luther had [...]
The Intersection of Art and Faith
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. —Psalm 33:1–6 [...]
Humility in Leadership
If the Lord can move the heart of a powerful, prideful, pagan king like Nebuchadnezzar, then no one is beyond His reach. Compared to previous time periods, one major difference in modern America is that we’re constantly exposed to our political leaders. Whether it’s coverage on cable news networks, interviews with YouTube podcasters, or posts on social media, we have unprecedented insight to what’s going with politicians at all levels of government. Although this reality has pros and cons, here’s one positive that I see: we have a lot of access to our leaders’ thoughts, words, and deeds. [...]
What the Resurrection Means to Me
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” —John 11:25–26 I’m on the record for loving Christmas Eve worship. The only thing that supersedes it is Easter. Yet the two are intimately entwined and inseparable, for Jesus Christ first had to be born and live, so He could die and rise for the sins of the world and then rise. I was exposed to the reality of death at a young age. I have a very clear [...]
The Passion of Our Lord
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us –Romans 5:8 Last week I wrote about our pursuit of the passions that God has put on our heart—the work He has created us to do. But this week, I want to focus on a different kind of passion: the Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The word “passion” comes from the Latin passio, which means “suffering.” On Good Friday, we meditate on our Lord’s suffering for us, from His disciples abandoning Him in the Garden of [...]