As we celebrate Christmas this year, we need to take a minute to hone in on Immanuel. God left heaven and came to earth to be with us—that’s a very big deal!
Yearly Archive:: 2013
Why Didn’t God Protect Me?

Renee felt like her relationship with God was “golden.” That is, until she met Clay. She shared her story with me over email,
A Different December

Four years ago my family decided to have a different type of December. Yes, we would enjoy the lights, music, and mochas. But we didn’t want to stop there. We decided to use the Christmas season as an opportunity to tell the rest of the Christmas story—to give people an opportunity to accept the greatest gift ever, Jesus Christ.
Hollow Beauty vs. Heavenly Beauty

Our world bombards us with an image of feminine beauty that’s not even based upon reality. Yet we as women are constantly pressured to pursue that unachievable standard of worldly allure. But when we yield our entire heart, mind, soul, and body to Jesus Christ, we are set free from the need to gain approval from this world. Rather, our value comes from knowing we have been loved and redeemed by the King of all kings.
A Closer Look at Mary’s Dream Guy

There’s nothing wrong with having a list of what we want our future husband to be like. But sometimes our list tends to focus on all the wrong things. We want a guy with a certain personality or a certain look. Instead, let me encourage you to look for a guy whose profile resembles one of the characters from the Christmas story—Mary’s dream guy, Joseph.
The Bravest Sentence in the Bible

Come with me on a treasure hunt through the Christmas story all month on the blog! We’ll examine each of the key players involved in Jesus’ birth and see if they can point our hearts toward the baby who changed everything.
The Scoop on Self

Not only are there enemies against you out there (Satan and the world), there’s an enemy within you—your very Self or "flesh." And while you can’t rescue yourself from Self, there’s a Savior who can!
Tell Your Spirit to Shut Up

I likely don’t have to tell you that December can be an especially hectic month. There are parties to attend, programs to perform in, parties to go to, and gifts to buy. But what a tragedy it would be for any of us to miss out on time with the God whose birth we celebrate because we refuse to take the time to get quiet.
Seven Reasons I’m Thankful for Asperger’s Syndrome

The five years leading up to my son’s diagnosis left me feeling like an absolute failure as a mother. I had beautiful child, but I couldn’t control him, calm him down, or even understand his needs most of the time. As hard as those years were and as some days still are, I now see that Jacob’s differences are a gift from God to our family.
The Scoop on the World

When you think of the world, you might think of exploring Paris and New Zealand and the Ivory Coast (how exciting does that sound?!). The world seems like a neutral space full of endless possibilities for adventure. It is . . . right? It all depends on what you mean by “world.”