Being Trapped By Tradition
November 19, 2020An imperceptible tension sets in on me as the holiday season draws closer by the day. There are moments of inner dread that sit heavy on what should be a joyous celebration of God’s goodness in my life. I stuff it down. I deny its presence. And on occasion, the effects of that spill out through a snippy comment, snarky attitude, and missed opportunity to worship as intended. The truth is that the nostalgia of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is hard to live up to at times. The demands of culture to create a utopian, American-holiday tradition feels unattainable…
Hope for Hard Times: The Grace of Forgiveness
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 25:23-34 Key Verse: “But if he does not have sufficient means to recover it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it shall be…
From Ashes to Beauty
The Testimony of Sue Corl One night as I was putting my ten year old daughter to bed, she asked me, “Mommy, can you tell me a story about something fun that happened to you in school when you were…
Wrestling Through: The Inconvenient Timing of the Hard, Painful Things
By Marnie Hammar I sat there, my hands tucked under my thighs with restraint, as my preschooler studied the three colorful story cards in front of us. Each card depicted a simple scene, and his task was to put them…
Wrestling Through Loss
By: Terri Prahl Even though I am no stranger to loss, watching the grief unfold in others still shocks me, dredging up deep, lingering questions. Why, Lord? How long, God? At some level, I already know. “In this world you…
The Well-Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles
Women/Christian Living/Discipleship
Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry
Christian non-fiction/Practical theology/Holiness of God
The Hard Good by Lisa Whittle
Christian Non-fiction/Grief and Loss/Forgiveness/Finding Hope in the Hard
James: The Steadfast Life
By: The Daily Grace Co. Bible Study book on the book of James. Christian living. Excellent resource broken down into short lessons over 7 weeks.
Wrestling Through: Living in the Tension of Pain and Hope
Guest post by Pamela Henkelman The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7 Lingering Pain I rose…
From Pack Mule to Reluctant Rider
Guest post excerpt from thesoftnever.com shared on September 15, 2021. For years, I had one rule when I went to amusement parks: NEVER go on the thrill-seeking, height-defying rides. Personally, I don’t like to feel terrified for the “fun” of it. Also, I have a propensity…
Wrestling Through: Moving through Fear and Anxiety Toward Greater Freedom and Faith in God
by Kelly Ann Snyder I have spent years struggling with generalized anxiety. From early childhood, well into adulthood. It wasn’t until shortly after turning 30 years old, after hitting rock bottom with anxiety and fear, that I finally surrendered my…