Teaching Latin has introduced me to the history of the Roman Empire surrounding the time of Jesus's birth. For example, the Latin words for the numbers seven-Septem, eight-Octavus, nine-Novem, and ten-Decem all align with the ending months from our calendar. However, the numbers are off by two. September is now our ninth month, October our …
Beautiful Women of Faith: Blessed Is She Who Believed
Every year, my favorite movie is "The Nativity Story." It is a beautiful rendition of the Biblical account of Jesus's birth. This year, however, the hardships Mary and Joseph faced captured my attention. Why did the angel inform Mary of God's plan, but Joseph was not informed until Mary's pregnancy was evident? Why did God …
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Beautiful Women of Faith:
Overcoming the Generational Divide with Love To be honest, her tone cut deep that day. My young son was having an allergic reaction at church, and I was not carrying medicine in my purse. When I asked an older woman whom I respected if she had any, she reproved me with brusque words. "You …
Beautifully Messy Becoming
For many of us, this has been a difficult year. As I sat down to write out my Thanksgiving reflections from each month of this last year, my first one listed the hard, heart-rending things. With nearly monthly regularity, there was another difficult struggle to record. I will spare you the details because there is …
Beautiful Women of Faith: Faltering, yet Finding Him Faithful
On the morning of my youngest child's eighteenth birthday, nostalgia and hope fight for priority. Nostalgia looks at the regrets and joyful memories of the past; hope sees how God will work it all together to shape this young woman's own journey of faith. No mother can automatically pass on her faith. She can only …
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Beautiful Women of Faith: The Prayer that Revived a Nation
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then …
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Beautiful Women of Faith: A Woman Unnamed
She stayed when everyone else walked away. She supported her husband when he came in exhausted after preaching to people who wouldn't listen. She protected her three small boys from the violent, lewd, evil world outside of their home. She provided a good example to her daughters-in-law when they, too, chose to follow their husbands …
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Beautiful Women of Faith: The Misunderstood Mary
For the centuries since Jesus’ resurrection, Mary of Magdala has had her name dragged through every conceivable mud puddle available. Cults, gnostic gospels, and even early religious leaders have accused her of everything from arguing with the apostle Peter to being a prostitute to having a secret family with Jesus. Sadly, many early church …
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Beautiful Women of Faith: Tamar
Her story is one of the most unsettling stories in all of the Bible. Tamar had a husband so wicked, the Lord “slew” him according to Genesis 38:7. The cultural requirement of the day called for his brother to marry her and give her a child that would carry on her first husband’s …
Contending with Compassion
A “Hate has no home here” sign sits next to a sign that declares, “No Kings, no Fascists, no tyrants, no Nazis.” Another recent online post crows, “When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” Hate clearly does have a home if that home declares you …
His Song in the Night 