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God In Hell: An Unexpected Comfort
Several years ago, a non Christian told me that the belief that God can’t be in the presence of sin is unbiblical. At the time I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. What about God’s holiness? His purity? I let questions like these simmer in the back of my mind for years. Maybe God Continue reading
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How doubt can be part of a believer’s journey to closeness with God
I told myself I’d give him a chance. People I love seemed to respect him. I wouldn’t make hasty judgements. I wouldn’t look for faults. I’d remain open to learn from him. But then he stood behind the pulpit and spoke. I groaned inwardly. Not 30 seconds had gone by and he reminded me of Continue reading
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I’m Sorry: an apology for what was (or was not) said about marriage
Husbands and wives: I’m sorry. I’m sorry if the model and idea of marriage was served to you with cynicism. I’m sorry if the divorce rate was described more like an unstoppable monster than a statistic that bows before the hand of God. I’m sorry if Christian marriage was described more often as two sinners Continue reading
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Hidden
I pray we humbly hide ourselves in God’s protective care. I pray we grow to trust that God sees our hurt (Genesis 16:13). I pray we would believe that God is not overwhelmed by evil like we are, but that He in His holiness is strong enough to work in evil to bring about good Continue reading
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In Which I Don’t Get Political
I don’t (or, rather, extremely rarely) talk or write about political things. If we’re being honest, politics never really gets to the root issues. That said, I think we work with what we got, and hold hope for what we’re not. I do occasionally write on things that people view as political. I don’t believe Continue reading
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Touched
“I Can See You” by T Swift … quite the inappropriate song, but the line “But what would you do if I went to touch you now?” got me thinking. It made me think of how inappropriate it was for Jesus to touch the leper (and miraculously heal him rather than becoming infected by the Continue reading
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Keep Me
I wonder if trusting in my faith in Jesus to save me is the reformed version of trusting in my work for Jesus to save me. Yeah … that can be a hard one to swallow. But coming to terms with this has also been one of the most freeing, wonderful things I’ve experienced. And Continue reading
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Pleasant Places
The verses that inspired “The Edge of Goodness” the poem (and later became the name for my book) were from Psalm 106: ”They despised the pleasant land and did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the Lord.“ Psalms 106:24-25 CSB Despising pleasant places sounded strange and intriguing, Continue reading
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Withness: Sitting in someone else’s discomfort
The thing with sharing about myself is thatno one really gets to see meuntil I know how they will hold me with me.Their questions and commentsabout my story or struggleare well-meaning. I just know sometimescomments are used subconsciouslyto create distancebetween my story and themselves. Discomfort is hard. Sometimes people offer bandaidsto help themselves feel better. Continue reading
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Stolen Beauty
It’s there when a child lets out a final sighTheir tired body melts into their mom’s arms.It’s in the glow of a sunset in the skyGracing the horizon with intense colors. It’s in conversations, where in the mind’s eye,Lively thoughts dance effortlessly between us. It’s there when an old, happy couple walk byHand in wrinkled Continue reading
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One Thing
Mary didn’t rehearse her lines before the first Christmas. It wasn’t planned out with tape on the stage showing her where to stand, lights fading between scenes, or a freshly cleaned barn for her to lay her body and baby down in. Somehow, this comforts me as I notice my odd yet common desire to Continue reading
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Tangled Christmas Lights – Part 2
[Part 1 can be found here, and the TLDR could be that, untangling teachings around human depravity and humans being image bearers is even more daunting than untangling Christmas tree lights. I suggested that they can be untangled by rooting our identity in God’s work not ours. So rather than our core identity being sinners Continue reading
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Tangled Christmas Lights – Part 1
“The good news of the Bible is not that we are not worms, but that God helps worms who trust him.” ~ John Piper It’s a thought to chew on for sure. I feel like the teachings around humans being depraved and humans being made in God’s image are like tangled balls of yarn or Continue reading
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Disloyal Hope
Hope fills me like air in a balloon. The possibilities swell inside me. A smile’s on my face but I know this tuneAnd that in the end I will not float free.I bounce around all light and cheery.While wishing I were one or the other -Free as a bird or tethered securelyTo avoid my ending Continue reading
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Me vs You
I’ve been struggling to write it all week … that God made humans in His image. that we are God’s beloved. that every life taken will be reckoned for. that in fighting evil from a place of vengeance and hate we make ourselves vulnerable to being consumed by evil. that even just vengeance is too Continue reading
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Worms, Rags, and Inherent Worth
“Read it,” my three year old son said as he hands me the crumpled paper from his fortune cookie. “‘The value lies not within any particular thing, but the desire placed on that thing,’” I read. My daughter asked the natural followup question: “What does that mean?” I think many Christians have heard sermons about Continue reading
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All the Time
Sigh. For me, anxiety comes when I see myself not get it right again. When I see I’m still struggling. When it takes longer than I want. I’ve started to remind myself there is time. Time is one thing I am not short on – Jesus has given me an eternity. It’s a little bit Continue reading
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I want to shout it to the world
“You control your own body.” I say it to my 3 year old after a scuffle with his sister. “Ask her to stop. Move away from her. Find Mom or Dad. You are not in charge of her. You’re in charge of you.” Later my 5 year old pulls out the phrase that’s been around Continue reading
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The Field
I stumble to a stop in the middle of the field and nearly collapse to the ground. I look over my shoulder and see you strolling toward me with a gentle, knowing look in your eyes. At first I think this is perfect, I’m exhausted from my antics of trying to get you to leave Continue reading
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Faithful when we are not
Y’all there’s gonna be no beating around the bush in this post: Us church people have too high a view of the affect of our sin on God. My search in Scripture for evidence that God can’t be in the presence of sin comes up disappointingly empty. Instead I find countless times where God is Continue reading
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The Worth Of Knowing 