grace

Never underestimate the power of your witness.

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“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28: 19-20

Befriending the outcast, preaching the gospel, doing good works are fundamental to being a good Christian. To be like Christ, we are called to do all of these things with great love. This doesn’t mean that we are all meant to speak on national television, found an international aid organization, or become a Grammy winning Christian artist. Your platform may never be that great, but your witness is just as important.

“Never underestimate the power of your witness.” That’s evangelism in a nutshell. Continue reading →

Don’t fake it ’til you make it (for love).

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“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7 

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In today’s age, it is easy to pretend. On social media, we show the world the perfect snapshots of our life. At work, we can focus on tasks and ignore getting to know people in order to succeed (and potentially move up the ladder). At church, we engage in small talk and pleasantries instead of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. In dating, we often hide our true selves and succumb to society’s pressures to be part of a couple.

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Your journey begins with a single step.

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“At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently…” Isaiah 26:9

A friend of mine was describing her new hobby of meditation. She was talking about the weirdness of trying something new and the constant feeling that you’re doing it wrong. We talked about the different styles of mediation, and she mentioned that she needed the guided sessions because sitting in silence made her nervous. She said that it was hard to talk about because other people think she’s crazy for trying it. Have you ever felt that anxiety of trying something new?

Throughout the conversation, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my faith journey. Continue reading →

Voice of truth.

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“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

I remember the day that I had to write my first client email without the approval from my boss. I was terrified to say the least. I had read, and reread the email at least ten times. I was second-guessing my word choices. Did it sound formal enough without sounding stiff? Would my stomach hurt if it was actually the “right” email? At that moment, I realized that I was legitimately having an emotional breakdown about six sentences. It shouldn’t take 30 minutes to write an email.

I realize that this isn’t the biggest crisis in the world. But it did trigger a profoundly beautiful realization in my life.

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Walk with the wise.

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“Walk with the wise and you become wise, but the companion of fools fares badly.” Proverbs 13:20

Growing up, my basketball coach would tell us that we needed to practice how we were going to play. This idea that walking through the motions wouldn’t make us better, but putting in everything we got would. So we would practice against the older team regularly. Every week we would scrimmage the older girls and get our butts kicked, and every week we worked hard and tried to beat them. Without success.

It was frustrating, and felt fruitless. Until we played our first official game. We out-hustled, out-scored and out-played our competition. Practicing against more advanced players helped us to improve drastically and play with confidence.

We walked with the wise. We became wise. Continue reading →

Let Go, Let God.

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“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42

Let go and let God. I love the simplicity of that phrase, but wish it was as simple in practice. It can be hard to believe that He works all things together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), especially when an innocent life is caught in crime or a family member gets sick. Continue reading →

Father, you know me.

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“With all of my ways, you are familiar.” Psalm 139:3

Growing up, my mom would always say that she knew me better than I knew myself. She could predict when I would get mad, the dinner I would choose from the menu, or my reaction to a gift from my grandmother. It would creep my out how well she knew me.

In reality, I am probably one of the most predictable people ever. While my mom might claim to know me better than myself, God truly does. He knows everything about me. Continue reading →

I’m Gonna Let It Shine.

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“Take care, then, that the light in you not become darkness.” Luke 11:35

I don’t know about y’all, but “This Little Light of Mine” was my JAM when I was six. I would scream-sing it around the house for hours on end. It’s catchy, right? Letting your light shine, showing the world who you are and whose you are.

In a world overcome by darkness–racism, mass shootings, terrorism, war, famine–that simple idea of ‘letting our light shine’ gets more complex by the day. How can we sing of goodness when our hearts are breaking? Or when it’s easier to sit in despair? Or when our anger consumes our thoughts and hate rests on the tip of our tongues? Continue reading →

Wonderfully Made.

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“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 149-13-14

God knew us before our mothers’ womb. He knew us before we were even a thought. We have been wanted throughout our history regardless of parentage or current circumstance. We were NEVER an accident or mistake. We were not unscheduled or unplanned. We have always, and will always be wanted—despite how we may feel now. Continue reading →

Speak with Grace.

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“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 2:17

It’s hard to hold our tongues when we’re angry. I’ve been struggling with this concept lately, so it’s only fitting that God guided me to this passage tonight. I find myself caught up in emotion, that I feel the need to drag everyone else into it. Why is that?

I don’t want to be THAT person, the negative Nancy of the group. Last year, I was voted ‘Sparkling Personality,’ and this year I’m honestly afraid of the label I’d be given. I’ve given my hurt a voice instead of my heart. Breaking away from my self-pity isn’t always easy. Accepting that He has a greater plan for me when I feel so utterly lost is difficult to stomach.

Continue reading →