Thanksgiving is approaching, but—if you’re like me—you may be struggling to feel thankful this year. Maybe this is your first holiday with an empty chair at the table, or maybe you’ve recently received some devastating news. Maybe you dread the idea of gathering with family, or maybe you are aching because there’s no family to gather with.
Continue reading “A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving”
Did anyone else spend years doubting their salvation? Wondering if they were really good enough to be saved?
The other night, I was reading in Scripture about the men from Judea who were teaching new believers that, “Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.” And I realized that’s how a religious spirit works.
Continue reading “A Religious Spirit”
I was at lunch with a friend this week, talking about the things the Lord is teaching us in this season. She said one of her recent prayers was, “Lord, thank you for letting me fall short, so I know where the end of me is.”
It was a gut punch.
Because I hate when I fall short.
I hate when I let people down.
I hate when I miss the mark.
Sometimes I lament that I didn’t read the terms and conditions of “being in ministry” closely enough, because falling short is what I spend a lot of my time doing.
Continue reading “Missing the Mark in Ministry”
Ministry has not looked the way I hoped it would.
It has not been a beautiful series of home runs for the Kingdom of God. I can’t count the number of times I’ve dropped the ball, struck out, or thrown my bat in a fit of unsportsmanlike conduct. [And that sums up everything I know about baseball.]
Continue reading “Batter Up”
Three years ago, Matt and I committed to living a life of inconvenience.
In today’s culture, that’s easier said than done…
Don’t want to wait through commercials? Skip them. Had a long day and don’t want to engage with people? Get your food to go. Or, better yet, have it delivered.
It’s easier than ever to avoid lines, avoid conversations, and avoid people altogether.
Which is exactly how God convicted us:
I told you to love your neighbor, not avoid them.
Grace Waves 