A Relationship Like Peter II

So what’s the cautionary in the tale here? Don’t deny Jesus when hanging out with strangers around a fire?

The Lesson of Maasai Gate

My dad and youngest brother visited David and me recently. One day, on our way to a blown glass place (it was beautiful!), we took a short cut through the national park. The one with animals. I love Nairobi. David’s dad was driving (so glad I wasn’t), and we maneuvered several pathways that required more […]

Where’s Your Focus?

The disciples fascinate me. For the first time, I’ve read straight through from Matthew to John and they are intriguing characters when seen in one fell swoop. One thing that stuck out to me was how many times Jesus explicitly told them that He was going to (a) die and (b) rise again. Seriously. So many […]

Not in Charge

We’d been talking about it throughout our time in the US. Distance helped us think about it slightly more objectively. It would be an investment to be sure, and we were slightly worried it wouldn’t work. But other people had had so much success with it, didn’t it have to work? We were both even getting ads for it.

Can I Be a Christian if I Struggle with Anxiety?

The Bible literally says to not be anxious (Philippians 4:6-7), so can I be a Christian and struggle with anxiety?

Mindsets of Victory

The lesson at present is victory — specifically gaining it over unwanted behavior (or wanted behavior that shouldn’t be wanted). What should our mindset be?

Passages of Encouragement

I don’t know about you, but things have been crazy lately. Here are some passages that have been encouraging to me lately, and they bear repeating — from my heart to yours: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be […]

The Impact of My Morning Devotions

A few weeks ago, I started to notice a direct correlation between my devotional time and productivity in the rest of the day: if I had zero (or very rushed) devotional time, my productivity suffered greatly. Now, I no longer live by salvation by devotions, so it wasn’t that I was guilt-tripped. This phenomenon confused me: where was this correlation coming from?

My Favorite Miracle

The Bible is filled with miracles. Even the first chapter of the first book contains the miracle of the creation of the world — that certainly did not naturally come about. The journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land, the work of prophets, and even the life of Jesus is […]

What the God of the Old Testament Wants

I remember sitting in his office. I remember a church member peeking in, “Pastor, there’s someone on the phone for you.” He told her to take a message because he was busy, was having an important conversation. That conversation was with 17-year-old-me. I treasure the memories of those hours. I wish I remembered how he […]