Every Wife’s Choice: Loving Beyond the Mood of the Moment, by Sarah Fairchild is a book for imperfect wives who want to have good marriages. Sarah addresses the question of what to do when our best efforts aren’t good enough, by using a familiar passage from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 as an outline for this refreshingly honest look at love and marriage. .
Sarah’s approach to this well known scripture passage goes beyond the clichés and gets deep, using Greek word study to better understand what God has to say about loving our spouses well.
Read moreEverybody has insecurities, those areas of life where we want to hold on a little tighter and maintain control, when really, God is in control- whether we acknowledge it or not. I may think I'm trusting God with all heart- but when I feel threatened in one of these places of insecurity, when I start feeling more stressed than normal, because I want control, this is a an indication that I may have elevated a good thing into a god thing, an idol. Anything that we elevate in importance over God can become an idol.
For me, it's home, my kid's happiness, and financial security (all good things) that tend to occupy a place in my heart that can easily slip into idolatry. All three were threatened earlier this summer, after a single phone call.
I wrote a guest post for my friend Holly, one day after that call. In it, I was reminding myself, as much as anyone else, about trusting God in situations of uncertainty- and I outlined 10 practical ways to deal with stress.
You can read that post here.
p.s. I followed the advice I gave, and with lots of prayer and help from the Holy Spirit, I got through a scary time just fine. God really was in control. The house sale is happening, and it's expected to close next week!
Read more“But love, in the Christian sense, does not mean an emotion. It is a state not of the feelings but of the will; the state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people.” – C.S. Lewis
The quote above is from C.S. Lewis’s book, Mere Christianity. (affiliate link) The command from Jesus to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31) is clear, leaving no room for argument. It’s a basic tenant of Christianity. Even people outside the faith know about this rule…and yes, they’re watching, to see how we do (or do not) follow through on it. It sounds simple, but what does it really mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
Read moreFear grips tightly. I struggle daily to throw off the chains of fear. I pray. I focus my mind on that which is true and of good report. I meditate on scriptures, which remind me to trust in the Lord with all my heart, and my faith is made stronger. Fear is replaced with peace. Sometimes.
Read moreHello, I hope that you are having a good summer so far. I'm want to slow down and savor these sunny days before it's too late- so I'm taking a bit of a break from the computer this week. Because of that, I've dug into my archives and pulled out something different to share with you today. The following is an essay I wrote several years ago about how I love being in a family that laughs together.....
Read more“Where the Streets Have No Name" as written by Dave Evans Paul Hewson, 1993
These hauntingly beautiful lyrics, made famous by U2, were playing on a continual loop in my head this morning. I’ve often wondered at their meaning, believing this piece of art to have many layers.
Read more“The incarnation brings unceasing hope and an end to our exile, wandering, and despair. There is great comfort for our souls in the truth that he is just like us. Here’s why: the incarnation tells us that even though we sin, we are not alone; even though we’re weak and finite, he knows what weakness and mortality are because he was weak and mortal just like us; and even though we continually fail, he has committed himself to be part of a race of failures- and he has done so forever.”
-Elyse Fitzpatrick, Found in Him
(This post contains an affiliate link from Amazon, for full disclosure, click here.)
Incarnation means God became a man. Jesus is both fully God, and fully human. It’s a concept full of mystery. What does it mean for us?
Read more“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Paul wrote the verse above to Timothy, during a time when the Christian church had considerably less freedom than it does today, here in the United States. It was a time of Roman rule, when the prevailing culture and the government were strongly antagonistic towards those who followed Christ. Paul wrote those words, but God inspired them. There is no question that, as Christians, we are to pray for our country and those in authority.
Read moreOnce again, it's time for "What I Learned", a link-up with Emily @ Chatting at the Sky, where we look back on the past month and share the little treasures we gathered along the way. Sometimes silly, always fun. If you want to join in, link up here.
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