I thought God would be more pushy. I was blessed to make it through the entire Bible this year (with many missed days and many catch-up days), and the contrast in God way of relating to his people struck me. We go from fire and thunder in Exodus to the whisper of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the first Christians. Perhaps it was more than a whisper — in Acts there are healings and miracles, rooms shaken with the wind of the Holy Spirit, people clearly moved by the will of God. Before that was the dynamic preaching and incredible healings of Christ, leading to his death with earthquakes and darkened sun and the greatest miracle of the Resurrection. But before that? Nazareth. I’m fascinated by Nazareth. Thirty years of Jesus’s life are practically unmentioned in Scripture, beyond a few events like the Flight to Egypt and...
Peace Through Humility
In the middle of absolute overwhelm, the invitation to peace is the strongest. I love how what we often call ‘cliche’ lessons in Christianity have the power to strike us anew at times. It’s almost like these truths are objects thrown into water that sink very, very slowly, sometimes without us noticing. They hit deeper parts of ourselves until coming to rest at the bottom of our hearts when we finally understand them to the fullest capacity possible in this life. A couple nights ago I was flipping through my Magnificat and stumbled across Matthew 6:25-34. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life… Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air…are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cube to his span of...
Lifewarden: A Short Story
Hey there! Today’s post is super short because I have an exciting announcement: My new short story is here! Lifewarden is now available for anyone to read over on StoryEmbers.org. I’m honored to have my work published on their site, as they do amazing work for the Christian writing community. I’m also very grateful to their editors, who helped me polish my story. What’s this story about? In a nutshell, Lifewarden follows a hundred and nine year old woman who has spent her life foretelling deaths, despite sensing that something isn’t quite right about her work. On the final day of her existence, her doubts resurface, now with the power to determine how she will be remembered, what will become of her family, and how an entire society will be shaped. The best part is that you get the whole experience in just over 3,000 words. HERE’S THE LINK...
For the One Who is Afraid to Begin
For the one who is afraid to begin. For the one who is stuck in endless calculation and planning. For the one who is afraid to make the first brush stroke for fear they are not prepared. For the one who is afraid to set the first stone for fear it will create the wrong foundation. For the one who is afraid of making mistakes and having to backtrack and rethink. For the one who is afraid to begin for fear of having to begin again. And again. And again. This is for you. — Lord, I want to begin, but I do not know when, or how, or if now is the right time to. I do not know if I am prepared enough or even if I should have taken this much time to prepare. I like to be efficient, to not have to backtrack, to get...