Six years ago, I began my author journey with a non-fiction book titled Look to Jesus: How to Let Go of Worry and Trust God. The nudge that pushed me down that road was some major upheaval in my life and the subsequent lessons I learned as I dealt with the resulting anxiety and trauma. I did this by focusing on Jesus and meditating on His faithfulness. Those thoughts and my studies became the content of that book.
Read moreThe Origin of the Song, Amazing Grace
This is a story about a man named John Newton. He was born in London in 1725. His father was the commander of a merchant ship that sailed in the Mediterranean. Little was written about his mother, except that she taught John what he knew about God. She died when John was young. At the age of eleven, John began sailing on long voyages with his father.
Read moreJesus is the Light of the World
Why is Jesus called the Light of the World?
The world can be a dark place but there is a beautiful hope to be found in Christ Jesus. He is the light of the world and I would love to explain a few reasons why this is so.
Read moreWhy Understanding Your True Identity Matters Most
Our beliefs influence our lives and the decisions we make. However, there’s one core set of beliefs that’s more powerful than anything else in directing our life’s decisions. These are the beliefs we have about our identity.
Read moreHow Grace Brings Purpose to Our Mistakes
There’s a story in the gospels (see John 4) about a woman who met Jesus at a well. She was at this well during the hot part of the day so she could draw water at a time when the others wouldn’t be there. She wanted to avoid them because she lived with shame.
She was a woman who had five failed marriages. The man she lived with was not her husband. She was a mess. Jesus knew all of this and he had a purpose behind what happened next.
Read moreKnowing God: The Truth About the Gospel
It’s easy in these modern times to know a lot about a person without actually knowing them. Scrolling through my Facebook feed the other day, this truth stood out starkly. I noted the many people I had only a surface level acquaintance with. Often, I knew where they went on their last vacation, what sports their kids played, where they worked, etc.- but that’s not the same the thing as really knowing them.
Read moreThe Most Important Distinction Between Gospel and Religion
The gospel, which encompasses the story of creation, the fall, our redemption, and renewal, is God’s story. The most wonderful news is that we’re invited into this story.
Read moreHow Receiving God's Gift, Like a Child, is the Only Way
I remember well the wondrous anticipation I experienced every Christmas Eve throughout my childhood. I couldn’t wait to get up the next morning and run out to the tree to see what was under it. In those years, it would still be dark outside when my brother, sister, and I would wake our parents on Christmas mornings.
Read moreWhy All People Have Dignity and Worth
Last Friday a gunman entered a mall and killed five people. My mind has gone back to this news, over and again, often, over these past days- more than is usual for these types of things. It happened less than sixty miles from where I live, and when I first heard the news, I had only just returned from a shopping trip at a different mall. I know people in the community where it happened. It was too close to home
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