“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” (Prov. 27:6 NASB) If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve more than likely been betrayed by someone close to you. Nothing hurts more than a hurt that you never see coming. Many people refer to this kind of betrayal as being…
As I consider the wondrous gifts of Pentecost, I am humbled by God’s amazing compassion towards us, but I’m also reminded of recent loss. During the second year of the pandemic, I lost three close friends, all Christian women who ended our connection in terribly damaging ways. How grievous it is to lose a friend—as…
Recently, I’ve been working a second job as a private chauffeur. Driving a minivan all over town, I transport my teenage kids to and from work, friends’ houses, and various other places and events. It’s really not that great of a gig—I’m always on call, and I’ve never brought home a paycheck. Not to mention…
When I think about the word “sin,” I think about things like lying, coveting, gossip, and murder. But as I continue to observe the current state of humanity, it is obvious that the sin of pride displaying itself through elitism and supremacy has pervaded both our past and our present. Jesus’s Model As we follow…
The experiences of those of us who grew up in the church vary greatly. The older I get, the more I understand that the people who mentored me throughout my formative years, especially high school and college, understood that I would encounter challenging questions and experiences that could cause me to question my faith in…
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19 NIV) I always like really good definitions, so I looked up what it means to ponder. Merriam-Webster defines ponder as, “to weigh in the mind, think about, or reflect on.” Another definition I read, from Oxford Languages, stated that ponder…