Headstrong. Bull-headed. Strong-willed. Single-minded. Take your pick. They all mean the same thing: Stubborn. And I have been called them all. Usually with a negative connotation. Okay, I admit. Being stubborn isn't usually something to boast about. Sometimes it can cause me to be a little too set in my ways, rigid even, unable or … Continue reading Pigheaded

I have to admit: out of all the Gospel accounts, the one written by John is my least favorite. As a Type-A person, I tend to gravitate to Luke's account (an account he himself describes as "orderly"--my kind of writing!) But that's not to say John's is bad, by any means. It, as with all … Continue reading The One Whom Jesus Loved

I have a confession to make: There is a person in my life I'm having a REALLY hard time forgiving. I know all the Scriptures in my head. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint … Continue reading Seventy-Seven Times

I've always been a very independent, self-sufficient person. I think a lot of it goes back to the way I was raised. While I'm not trying to throw anyone under the bus here, my mother was a product of the sixties, with its hyper-focus on the empowerment of women, and she coached me from an … Continue reading I Don’t Need You

I was re-watching 'The Chosen' a few days ago (it's a fantastic show, by the way; if you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it!), and one particular line struck me. In season 4, episode 2, Matthew, one of Jesus's disciples, is talking to Gauis, a Roman soldier. The two had previously worked together, … Continue reading Only One Thing To Do Today

The Lord of the Rings is one of my all-time favorite stories. I was first introduced to Middle-Earth by my father, who gifted me his old, worn-out copy of The Hobbit when I was in 6th grade. At the time, Tolkien's unique use of language and writing style was hard for me to understand. It … Continue reading Hope from the Gates of Mordor

The days are getting longer. The heat is wracking up the thermometer. My kids are officially done with school. In short, there's no more denying it. Summer is here. In fact, this will be my last post before I take my annual summer hiatus from this blog, seeking to spend more time with my family. … Continue reading A Gift, Not A Burden

We're a month past the Easter season, and yet my mind is still on the Resurrection. As it should be, of course. It is the reason for the hope any believer has, the rallying cry upon which our victory is assured. And yet, while I do bask in this glorious truth, the appearance of our … Continue reading Just Like Me

"I don't believe in God because of all the bad things in the world." How many times have you heard this sentence? Or its sister, "I stopped believing in God because of all the bad things in this world." It's a pretty common objection to God and Christianity in particular. And, on the surface, it … Continue reading But By Your Endurance…