In the Old Testament, there was a season of time where a long awaited promise – a promise of a Savior, a promise of a salvation yet to come – seemed dormant and forgotten. There was a hush, a quiet from heaven for 400 years. For 400 years, there was no further...

The birth of John the Baptist is a beautiful story because it shows, yet again, the mercy and kindness of God. An older couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, incapable of conceiving a child were given a promise by God that they would have a son of their own. Zechariah...

I love Christmas decorations: twinkly lights, poinsettias, garland twirled around a staircase. My mom has an incredible collection of nativity scenes from around the world she puts up all over her house every year. Each scene is made from different indigenous...

Christmas is a strange time of the year, often filled with various emotions. There is much that is lovely and hope filled, especially for believers. However, it can also be a time when the pain we feel from the loss of loved ones is heightened, or we may feel deflated...

“This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people.” -- Luke 1:25 I absolutely love a good comeback story. I am a forever champion of the underdog. Give me all the tissues because I will cry tears...

We need a redo. A toddler time out. A fresh start on how we view and treat people. Let’s jump right in the deep end. You and I might disagree about abortion, about LGBTQ+ leadership in the church, about ways to resolve racial injustices, about politics. (I am not...

And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. -- Hebrews 9:15 A little one-liner that had everyone...

My children told me earlier this year that if you break a pinky promise (a promise made while your little finger wraps around another person’s little finger) then your little finger will fall off! This is a new development since I was young, but thankfully for them...

Have you ever had someone make a promise that seemed impossible to keep, yet they followed through and kept their word? When I was a child, I can remember my dad would travel and promise to bring me back a specific item or take a picture in front of a certain place....

A couple of years ago, I realized that I was spending way too much time on social media. When I was sad or lonely or insecure, I would get on Twitter or Instagram, post something I knew would provide the affirmation I needed, and wait for the likes and comments to...

My husband sat on the living room floor with my grandson and a pile of large building blocks. Our little man was trying to build a tower, but it kept falling over. He let out a groan of frustration, knocked over his work, and started to cry. I sat on the couch and...

Hasn’t the world felt upside down in 2020? COVID is a disaster. Politics are contentious. People are on edge. Things feel uncertain. Plans are temporary. The rules of our day are ever changing. But, God. He is here. Stable. Steady. In these months of COVID, mask...

Rest is a complicated idea in 2020. There has been so much turmoil, with both solitude and crisis at every corner, that the idea of rest almost seems impossible. And yet, as we celebrate Advent, I cannot imagine a better passage to dive into today. If you haven’t read...

Our reading today comes from Matthew 5, which is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is shifting into His public ministry and is preparing His disciples for all the ways they are to be set apart from the the scribes, Pharisees, and Gentiles. Jesus focuses on...

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’...