The Extraordinary Wrapped In the Ordinary

Advent Day # 12 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 The internet is full of meaningful commentary on the swaddling clothes Jesus was wrapped in. Many believe it signifies His …

Jehovah-Jireh: God Will Provide Himself a Lamb

Advent Day #8 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;for he hath visited and redeemed his people,And hath raised up an horn of salvation for usin the house of his servant David;As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,which have been since the world began:   That we should be saved from our enemies,and …

He Hath Scattered the Proud

Advent Day #7 He hath shewed strength with his arm;he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.He hath put down the mighty from their seats,and exalted them of low degree.He hath filled the hungry with good things;and the rich he hath sent empty away. Luke 1:51-53             Luke’s well-researched account of the …

The God of the Impossible

Advent Day #5 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:36-37             Mary's conversation with the Angel Gabriel would have recalled the account of another barren woman …

You Can Go Home Again

As a bird that wandereth from her nest,so is a man that wandereth from his place. Proverbs 27:8 This verse caused me to count the cities my family has lived in over the years. Since my childhood years in central Kansas, I have only returned to visit. Marriage scuttled us down to three diverse cities …

Engaging Difficult People Biblically

After teaching teenagers since August, I jokingly told my Costco checker that I am nearly strong enough to work retail at Christmastime. He laughed with an eyebrow raised that implied his uncertainty at my readiness. Since I have never worked retail and he has never taught middle school and high school students, we might both …

We Cannot Teach What We Do Not Know

As an upcoming, first-year teacher, the beginning of the school year looks daunting. Thankfully, my schedule is light, and I have had time to prepare. Health is already a passion, so diving into the curriculum and searching for supplemental aids to teach four classes a week is much more enjoyable than a subject like math …

Meditations in the Fire’s Forging

Real faith upends the pre-conceptions of who Jesus is from the tiny box of human expectation and understanding. The apostle Peter and the other eleven walked the crucible of disappointment as Jesus revealed Himself to the world, not as the reigning Messiah, but as the suffering Servant. Those three black days of Jesus’ silent occupation …

When All I Have is Jesus

A Biblical Counseling Series # 5 Rejection cuts deep whether it is a child, a spouse, a parent, or a love interest. Elisabeth Elliot writes of George Matheson in her book, “A Path Through Loneliness.” When George became blind, his fiancée broke off their engagement. Instead of becoming bitter, however, he lifted his blind eyes …

Stewarding Well the Plan B Path

A Biblical Counseling Series #4 “It is not supposed to be this way.” Right now I see many believers walking difficult paths on my social media feed. A teenage Pastor’s daughter died in a random accident. A young girl is on her journey toward Heaven from a brain tumor. A family is dealing with the …