Fiction
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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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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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Magic and the Hand of God: Why Does Magic Always Originate from the Hands?
As I’ve read many fantasy books and fairy-tale retellings, I’ve come to wonder about one thing: why is it that most of the time magic comes from people’s hands? Think about it. While, yes, many stories have magic systems that rely on the mind or voice, many have magic systems dependent on the main character’s hands. Elsa’s powers, from Frozen, all come from her hands. The Force in Star Wars is primarily channeled through the hands. In numerous fantasy novels I’ve read, the hands are the main source or exit for one’s power. In noticing this trend, I had to wonder, why? Why is the hand so dominant? This led…
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Fall in Love With the Classics: Five Books I Recommend
Happy February! To begin the month on a lighthearted note, I wanted to shift from the weekly devotional content and share with you five of my favorite classic books. The classics, in literature, are books which have stood the test of time and serve as standards of excellence and recognized value. For many people, hearing the term “classic literature” carries an ominous or serious ring with it. Delving into this genre can sound overwhelming, especially if you have never explored it before. And yet, it is the classics which are the building block of the modern literary world. You will constantly find references to the classics in modern literature, movies,…
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Rose in Bloom – Book Recommendation
“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” – Jo March? Louisa May Alcott is most famous for her timeless novel Little Women. In the Little Women 2019 movie adaptation, Jo March boldly states the above quote to Marmee. But did you know that famous line isn’t actually in the Little Women book? This iconic phrase is taken from another of Alcott’s masterpieces, Rose in Bloom, which was published in 1876. In this book, the protagonist, Rose…
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Why We Love Magic: A Christian Perspective on Fantasy
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity This popular quotation by C. S. Lewis echoes a thought I’ve recently had on our draw as humans towards stories containing magical or fantastical elements. The fantasy genre is widely popular and it is made unique because of all the varieties of magical elements it contains. Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, even Disney movies are full of magic. This made me wonder, why are we so drawn to stories with the fantastical? Magic is widely controversial within…
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8 Books That Inspire Hope, Create Courage, and Encourage Bold Living
Have you read something recently that made you feel brave, inspired, encouraged, or like you could take on the world? Today I want to share a list of books (both fiction and non-fiction) that will inspire you to be a little braver, live a little louder, and perhaps take that next tiny step toward becoming the incredible person God called you to be. Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration and a vision of who you could be and what you could do to take the next step forward. Maybe all you need is to be reminded that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they say yes to…
