I recently read that the number of Muslim converts to Christianity returning to their Muslim faith after only a year is surprisingly high. At the heart of this reconversion rate is a lack of attention on the needs of the new converts after coming to faith in Jesus Christ. A new Christian needs someone to…
The Power of Words
Have you ever listened to a news report and immediately felt a wave of fear wash over you? Or felt like you were just put on a major guilt trip? Or maybe you’ve read a friend’s post on social media and found yourself suddenly angry. This is because our words have power. Everywhere we turn,…
A Letter to My PreMarried Self
Dear Pre-married Self, I want to write you this note to let you know some of the things you’re going to learn over the years of your marriage. You think you know what you’re committing to but let me assure you; you don’t. The early years will feel easy. You and your new…
Morning Routines
When my second son was born, God put a song in my heart: “In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.” I thought it was just to set my mind aright for those newborn weeks when sleep is at a minimum and “morning” often starts at 3am. As the year wore on, however, it…
Endurance in Hardship
Have you ever had a moment when God brings something to light in your heart and it just makes you want to vomit out of total conviction? I had one recently when reading from James to “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials…” (James 1:2). I’d been stuck…
Psalm 46:10
God has been bringing to mind Psalm 46 lately: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the…
Spiritual Junk-Food
For those of you who are new here, in my counseling practice, I use nutrition to support mental health. Many of my clients experience relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety just by adjusting the way they eat. God designed our bodies to work on a steady stream of whole foods. Sugar, hydrogenated oils, preservatives…
Thistles & Brambles
In the strange events of 2020, I have been convicted repeatedly of my tendency to complain when my circumstances are less than ideal. When I find my freedoms impinged upon, my attitude tanks. It is a struggle to stay focused on my Savior and the joy before me; it’s easier to complain that I can’t…
Adulting
A new word has come in to common usage over the last few years, and I love it: “adulting.” It encompasses all of the work and emotion of being an adult and is generally accompanied by the description “is hard”. Adulting can be hard. Christian adulting can be even harder. In Romans 12, the Apostle…
COVID Anxiety
2020 has been a truly unique year for most of us. Those in older generations may not feel the same shock that those in the 40 and under age groups do, because truly, there is nothing new under the sun. But for many of us, the global shut-downs because of a pandemic combined with the…