Maybe it's because I'm not that sentimental but I find myself in this "should I be sad?" pickle. I hear parents & grandparents all over say things like, "Enjoy it, you'll miss this someday," and the like but when I hear these comments all I can honestly think is "Maybe, but I'm ok with that." Nichole Nordeman recently released a video called Slow Down summarizing the … [Read more...]
What It Means To See
One of my favorite truths about God is that He sees me. He sees everything about me, even the darkness of sin that I struggle with, and yet He cares for me enough to die for me, conquer death in His resurrection, and free me from being enslaved to sin. He cleaned me with grace and now I am presented to Him in Christ's righteousness. What an honor! How this lowly person can … [Read more...]
Grace Upon Grace
The artistic flair of washable marker was evidence that he'd been there. I followed the evidence over the wall and behind the door. Hearing the sshh-ing from the closet, I found the culprits. This was the pinnacle of a not-so-great day. It started off well enough and then slipped into chaos faster than lightening strikes the ground. Fights erupted. Retaliations … [Read more...]
The Fragrance of Salvation
Shortly before Jesus died, we see that Mary anointed him with oil. Not just any oil, but highly valuable and expensive oil used as perfume. Upon Jesus' death, he was once again anointed with oils of fragrance to mask the smell of decay that usually occurs a few days after death. The interesting thing is that potentially Jesus was resurrected before his tomb began to fill … [Read more...]
The Humility in Receiving
There are givers, and there are takers. Then there are those who are excellent at both and utilize them with wisdom. I love to give generously. God has grown me to a point where I recognize that giving away my time, my effort, and my resources brings me so much joy and I really love to meet needs. However, there's an awful side to this story too. I have a pride … [Read more...]