Ever since I was a little girl, I have struggled with finding where I belong. It’s not that I didn’t have a loving family or good friends. But I have always felt like I was a little different and didn’t quite belong to my peer group. Even as an adult l struggle to find a place where I feel like I am really more than just a curious outsider that the “in crowd” tolerates having around. The difference is that now I know that I am not alone in feeling this way. Especially in this age of online comparison in…
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When I first saw today’s prompt of “share” I thought I would go in the obvious direction of community, friendship, etc. Thus the photo I chose to today’s graphic. But this morning my devotional contemplations led me in a different vein of thought, so here goes nothing! Timer on… This morning my devotional meditation was about feeling pain but not acting out of pain. As I meditated on that idea, I was also thinking about why we are supposed to feel pain and suffering. The Bible says that we are to share Christ’s sufferings so that we may rejoice all…
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Something I’ve been contemplating lately is how I live out what I believe in specific areas of my life. I have particularly been considering how my identity in Christ shapes my behavior. If I believe, truly deep down, not just on a cerebral level, that I am a Daughter of the King of Kings, I will behave differently than if I believe I am still an orphan without a home. If I believe that I am redeemed and saved by grace, I will stop striving to achieve and earn God’s love, living instead in the rest and peace of being…
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Maybe it sounds strange to some, but when I think of trying to build community locally, I am afraid about a lot of things. I am afraid I won’t know what to say when I first meet someone (which is actually true…I’m notoriously horrible at making small talk and asking questions!) I am afraid people won’t like me once they really get to know me. I am afraid I won’t be able to keep up the energy required to sustain friendship. I am afraid our kids or our husbands won’t like each other. I’m afraid I will be judged for…
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Why do we as humans feel compelled to tell our story? What is it about story that makes us come alive? What is so powerful about hearing the stories of others? I think it is because we are people of story created by a God of story. The God who created us is the same God who gave us His story in the form of Scripture. He has been telling the story of His love, grace and salvation from day one. And we, as being created in His image, also need to tell our stories, and His. As a Christian,…