So often I find myself thanking God for His mercy and grace, paired together as I express my gratitude for both. Mercy and grace are similar in that they’re both loving manifestations, but they are different. Perhaps you’ve heard it said, “Grace is receiving what you don’t deserve, mercy is not receiving what you do.” […]
Defense
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, […]
Pain, a very good teacher
I heard a woman I respect, and clearly on the conservative side say softly the other day, “Pain, it’s a very good teacher, you know.” She was speaking of children and their upbringing often being a battle of wills. Children need discipline and consequence in the home to mature. They need to be given a […]
Earthly Fathers
“I didn’t raise you to be so judgmental!” Soul crushing words as my dad and I argued theology. I was in my teens. My parents had recently divorced, and I’d been pursuing a far too conservative angle in my efforts to connect with God; to make sense of my young life…in his opinion. But he […]
Apologies
When someone hurts me/us, I’m initially met with confusion, aka, “I’ve got to be missing something, this person I put trust in wouldn’t hurt me like this on purpose, it must have been a mistake.” Assuming the best of people is an important perspective to take, but discerning where harm has been caused by mistake […]
Trusting too easily
Over the years I’ve found myself repeatedly pouring out pieces of myself hoping to be fully seen and known…and still loved “despite me”, as though I had to “sell” the best parts of me in order to be accepted with all my “bad”. I’ve found that the pieces of me revealed in confidence (and if […]
The power of “No”
Yes. Typically easier than a “no”, usually feels good to say, and for years it’s been tripping me up. I’ve found that I’m not all together clear on what a healthy “yes” is anymore, nor when to give one…but I’m learning. I’m learning I don’t have to give an immediate answer; I mean, where in […]
Honor
“A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” – Mark 6:4 The passage goes on to say that He could do no mighty work there and marveled at their disbelief. The Son of God was walking among them and of ALL the communities in […]