A New Perspective
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) Ah, January 1. Every year it comes around. Every year, people all over the world make New Year’s Resolutions: finally get organized, lose those 10 pounds, spend more time with family. Buoyed by guilt or good feelings from the holidays, we tackle these worthy goals with good intentions. We might even last a month or two before the patterns of our old life...
Read MoreA Thought Revolution
“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” (Romans 14:12-13 NIV) A friend of mine told me about one of her friends who was a new mom and was breastfeeding her baby during a church service. She used a cover and tried to be discreet, but apparently one of the men in the church complained to the pastor that the woman breastfeeding during church was causing him to think impure thoughts. “What a great...
Read MoreEchoes in Eternity
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11a NIV) Ever since I can remember, my life’s goal has been to become a published author. I wrote my first story in Kindergarten, and it won a prize (mostly because no other Kindergartener could write a story). Some things haven’t changed – my stories are still about knights, dragons and princesses – but other things are different. I’ve always had other work to do. I’ve let making friends, meeting a boyfriend, getting married,...
Read MoreJustice In Light Of Ferguson
“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:5 NIV) Some days you just shouldn’t read the news. Like when you find out that an unarmed teenager was fatally shot by police, allegedly with his hands in the air crying “Don’t shoot!” As a parent, it’s the worst feeling I can imagine – a senseless loss. There’s nothing you can say to make his parents, his family, his community feel better, because it’s a tragedy that was entirely avoidable. If not for the community protests, some of which...
Read MoreEnjoying the Day You Have
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 NKJV) Our second son was born a little more than three weeks ago. As many moms have experienced, I was really disappointed that I ended up with a C-section and wasn’t able to have the natural delivery I wanted – not because of any philosophical preference, but just because I was looking forward to an easier delivery this time. So I tried to make my peace with it, thinking of all the advantages of a scheduled C-section, and then I went into labor two weeks early. We labored at home for a while (one...
Read MoreEvangelism the Easy Way
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV) When I was in college, I was blessed to be part of a vibrant, growing church that was focused on outreach to students. The church was my primary social circle, and I formed many lifelong friendships there. It was also dedicated to...
Read MoreStill in the Resurrection Business
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5 NIV) I admit that I was feeling a little cynical about churches lately. I live on Education Hill in Redmond, which could also be known as “church hill” given the number of churches on 166th Ave. They’re all putting up their signs that say, “Easter service! Come join us!” and my first reaction is, “Nobody wants to come to church.” Don’t get me wrong; I want to come to church. But I’ve been going to church every Sunday morning since I was in the womb. My...
Read MoreJustice Begins With Mercy
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV) The causes of poverty are so numerous and complex that I often feel hopeless about knowing where to start addressing it. Then a friend of mine posted an op-ed entitled “The Compassion Gap” on her Facebook page. In it, the author describes the negative responses he received to an earlier piece about a struggling single mother whose son has developmental delays because of undiagnosed hearing impairment. Many of his readers focused...
Read MorePermission to Succeed
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) The only thing that I’ve never stopped wanting to be “when I grow up” is a novelist. (Okay, and a fairy princess.) Seriously, ever since I wrote my first story – in Kindergarten – writing stories has been my highest goal in life. Yet I have spent so much of my life debating whether writing was really what God wanted me to do that I nearly talked myself out of it. Somewhere along the way, I picked up the idea that God only calls people to things...
Read MorePreparing Little Hearts
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15 NIV) It’s often said that one of the best parts about raising kids is getting to see the world through the eyes of children to whom everything is new. My son is so excited about learning words that he hears and sees a lot of things I don’t notice. For example, he will often point out an airplane high up in the sky, or perk up when he hears the jet noise and say “airpane!” He will say it until I figure out what he’s talking about. When I stop and listen, then I notice it,...
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