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Five Simple Ways to Spend Time With Jesus Throughout Your Busy Week
If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time, you’ve heard about the importance of spending time with God and developing a devotional life. And yet, for many, this seems like a daunting task. I’ve met many people who struggle to start developing the habit of spending time with God because it seems like a huge, time consuming commitment. Spending time with God is a commitment, and it is important, but it also doesn’t have to be an overwhelming prospect. I believe that if we take small steps, we will make progress whereas if we try to make big leaps out of the blue we will only land flat…
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Five Middle-Grade Series That Have Shaped Who I Am
There is a long list of middle-grade books that live rent free in my head. I’ve always been drawn to this genre and that has made me wonder: why? It’s about more than the whimsical settings, the creative plots and the high stakes. The thing that constantly draws me in is the characters themselves, and their journey to finding family, community, and a place of belonging. It’s the stories of normal people with big fears, going through life and discovering greatness in themselves. Middle grade is fascinating because it perfectly portrays what someone believing in you can do to transform your life. I find many middle grade books so uplifting…
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A Call to Encounter the Living God
In a world where many people are deconstructing, reconstructing, or dismantling their faith, I have found myself wondering what the essentials are and why we find ourselves adding embellishments to our relationship with God. I have seen countless people pursue religion from a hollow soul, doing outward works but never experiencing true, internal transformation. I have seen people lose themselves in “ministry”, pursuing the expansion of God’s kingdom. And yet, the true pursuit of God cannot lead to empty, dead tradition. The true pursuit of God (as seen throughout the Bible and history) changes us, transforms us inside and out, and pushes us forward towards becoming more like Christ. It…
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What The Fellowship of the Ring Teaches Us About Community
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) Throughout the epic quest of Lord of the Rings, there is one character that stands out for his valor, steadfastness, loyalty, and determination. Samwise Gamgee, an ordinary hobbit whose life aspiration was tending a garden and having a family, becomes essential to Frodo’s quest to journey into the land of Mordor and destroy the ring. Through every trial, Sam remains by Frodo’s side, willing to risk and lose it all in order to see his friend succeed. What would happen if all of us were so dedicated to our friendships…
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What We Learn About Prayer From When Calls the Heart
How many times have we prayed in an attempt at changing our circumstances? Many of us have even prayed with the sole intention of changing God’s mind. And yet, prayer is less about us and more about God working His will in and through us. True prayer is all about getting our own hearts to beat in time with God’s. When this aligns, then the worries surrounding us shift, not necessarily because they have changed, but rather, because we have. “Before prayer changes others, it first changes us.” – Billy Graham Prayer Lessons From Elizabeth Thatcher As I thought about the transformative power of prayer, I was reminded of one…
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What the Wingfeather Saga Teaches Us About Worship
Spoiler Alert: This post contains spoilers to North! Or Be Eaten and The Warden and the Wolf King. Please keep this in mind while reading the post, particularly the final two sections. For as long as humanity has existed, the need to worship something or someone has been prevalent in society. I’d like to suggest that humanity longs for worship because from the foundation it was designed to worship. Isaiah recognizes this, saying that humanity was created for God’s glory. “Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” – Isaiah 43:7 (NKJV) Humanity Was Designed…
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What Jill Pole Teaches Us About Loving the Word of God
In The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, Jill Pole is given four signs by Aslan in order to guide them on a quest to save King Caspian’s missing son, Prince Rilian. Aslan gives Jill the following instructions: “But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do…
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Darkest Before the Light
Holy Week is the week that marks Jesus’s last few days of ministry on earth before His death and resurrection. There are many memorable moments we remember during this week: Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Morning. Each day of Holy Week played it’s role leading up to the cross and resurrection. But perhaps the most poignant day of all is Good Friday. Despite its name, Good Friday carries a certain grief that highlights the weight of the cross. When Darkness Seemed to Win Good Friday makes me think about the moments in our lives that, much like that day, seem dark and hopeless. As Jesus hung on…
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Do Fairytales Preach the Gospel?
There is a basic structure to classic fairytales that carries the essence of the Gospel. The more I think about stories like Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel the more I see common threads that echo the biggest story of them all—the Gospel of Jesus. These stories are marked by the fight between good and evil, the villain who will do anything in their power to hold back the heroine, and the prince who ultimately swoops in and saves the princess, making her his bride. Classic fairytales, at their core, echo the story of salvation and Christ’s desire for His Church. The Setup Let’s look at the setup to begin with.…
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God Works Best in Chaos, and He Brings Beauty Out of It
In the beginning, God made something out of nothing. The world was dark, void, and chaotic. There was no shape or beauty to be found, and the atmosphere was desolate. But with one word, one breath, light sprang forth and everything the Spirit of God touched became alive. He brought the chaos into order and filled the void with Himself. The shapeless gained beauty, and suddenly, earth was bursting with life. It’s in the emptiness that God can work in us and fill us with His life, giving meaning to every crevice of our hearts. God did this to the world when He created it. He also did it with…
