Have you ever tried out for a team and after the try-outs the coaches decide to split the players into two teams, the “A Team” and the “B Team?” Then you look at the list and come to find you’ve been placed on the “B Team” and all the players that you admired as competitors were placed on the “A Team.”  Perhaps you began to question yourself. You started going through the tryout in your mind, pick...  Read More

One of my favorite movies growing up was Forrest Gump. I remember watching it for the first time when I was sick on a 4th of July holiday.   It was one of those movies that really impacted the way I looked at life. Before I was saved and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, the scenes and quotes from the film shaped my lens on how I viewed the world—especially Forrest running across the country wi...  Read More

“What if?”Who can identify with dealing with a multitude of “what if” thoughts these days?For those of you who don’t know, I dealt with extreme OCD and anxiety in my early to mid-20s. The uncertainty of what I wanted to do with my life and feelings of loneliness were almost unbearable.Amidst feeling like it would be easier to just curl up in a hole somewhere and die, God brought people into my lif...  Read More

When I was in college, I did an internship in Washington D.C. At the time, our country was at a turning point politically, the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan had become widely unpopular, many people had grown tired of the Bush Administration (to say it politely), and there was desire for change. As a young aspiring journalist, it was exactly where I wanted to be. I was fortunate enough to have ...  Read More

I often listen to various sermons throughout the week, so much so, that my children once said, my favorite TV show is “church” during a Mother’s Day exercise.   Recently, I was mowing the lawn-- and of course-- listening to a sermon through my earbuds. The Pastor was doing a series on the parables of Jesus, the parable that he was preaching about was that of the wedding feast found in Luke chapter...  Read More

If you are like me, one of the blessings of having and listening to teaching pastors, is that the content and nourishment that they provide through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, becomes almost a daily feast.Last Sunday, Pastor Matt Stokes began a series of teachings on the Book of Revelation.  One of the things he said was that we are called, set aside, to minister as priests.  He took this re...  Read More

Lately, the Lord has been reminding me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke, as I try to navigate this new season of raising four children, managing my home, and trying to be the virtuous woman He has called me to be. But I must admit there are times when I’m overwhelmed and distracted.  Like Martha, I find myself trying to make everything perfect in my home, yet I’m prone to comparison.  I fee...  Read More

Read: Matthew 19:20-22 (NASB)I absolutely love the questions Jesus asks. While sometimes they are introductory or invitational, eventually they always get to the deepest need of the people who come to Him.Often Jesus’ question is in response to a question that has been asked of Him. An effective method of teaching both in Jesus’ time and even today is the use of questions. That’s why I wanted to c...  Read More

Read: Matthew 19:16-26 (NASB)It is obvious by reading the gospels that people are drawn to Jesus. While it is true that many came seeking healing or deliverance, there were always those who came with a questioning and sincere heart.I believe that this man, known as “the rich young ruler,” was genuinely seeking some answers to what he knew what was missing in his life.In Mark and Luke, we see Jesus...  Read More

Read: Romans 8:1-2Oh, what an incredible verse to begin our day with! No matter what has happened, no matter how many times we may have “missed the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus,” this verse obliterates it all.As my custom is, as I’m writing this post I’m listening to worship songs. Again today started off with “What a Beautiful Name,” and the words, “You have no rival, You have no equa...  Read More

Read: Galatians 5:22 and Proverbs 25:28Here is the definition of this word that Paul uses that is listed last in the fruits of the Spirit: “egkrateia: mastery, self-control – proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself.  self-mastery, self-restraint, self-control, continence.”You might remember last week how we continued to share how one of the best ways to understand the fruit of the S...  Read More

Read: Galatians 5:22Last week’s post went as far as the first two fruits of the Spirit. We also established the concept of progression - that is, as the child of God grows in experiencing some of the fruits of the Spirit, this paves the way for other fruits to begin to manifest themselves.The fruit of peaceSo now we are looking at the third fruit listed - peace.There is no doubt in my mind that bo...  Read More