faith in Jesus
A Broken Hallelujah Is Still a Hallelujah
“I can invite You into those broken places and collaborate with You in putting the fragments back together in new ways.“ – Jesus Listens, July 3 Have you ever stopped and marveled at how the Bible, including God’s chosen family, is filled to the brim with screw-ups and sufferers? This is my favorite thing about the Bible. All the screw-ups and sufferers that are in there. It gives me hope, because if there is saving grace for bottom-dwellers like them, then there must also be saving grace for bottom-dwellers like me. The unfiltered stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rahab, David, Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene, and others might make the middle class in spirit person’s skin crawl. Even though they are all considered heroes of the faith in the Bible and throughout the centuries, these “heroes” h...
Walking with Loved Ones Through Mental Health Challenges
“Teach me how to show Your Love to others.”– Jesus Listens, February 10 “Sam had that ‘going away’ look in her eyes last night. I need to check on her today.” The “going away” look was all too familiar to Deidra. She had walked with Sam through the ups and downs of mental health challenges for twenty years and was experiencing pain only found in the deep waters of friendship. She knew when Sam was’t regularly taking her medicine, her eyes looked disengaged and disinterested. It was a look Deidra recognized since the same look preceded two trips to the emergency room and one long stay in a mental health hospital. Supporting Those With Mental Health Issues Walking with friends and family who are navigating mental health challenges is a privilege often filled with immeasurable pain. The ...
Jesus Christ: The Greatest Gift of All
One Christmas, just a few years after I graduated from Wellesley College, I went home to Richmond, Virginia to be with my family for the holidays. My brother, Tim, was there too. He had recently returned from studying at L’Abri, a Christian community in the Swiss Alps. Tim had been struggling for years to find his way, having dropped out of three universities even though his grades were excellent. The Tim I encountered that Christmas, however, was remarkably changed. I was amazed to find him so warm, loving, and—much to my surprise—very concerned about my spiritual well-being. He was a new person altogether! Tim had become a Christian. I was not a Christian. I had given up on my search for truth after majoring in philosophy at college—looking for answers but finding none. On the first nigh...
Kindling an Ignited Faith
As summer moves to fall, I’m reminded this new season invites all of me—my heart, my soul, my mind—to adjust to change. When a new season arrives, it brings along new demands, new responsibilities, and a growing awareness that time is a truly precious resource, one we can never get back. And sometimes I find that as the seasons change, so do the flames my faith. “Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need. This is not a path of continual success but of multiple failures. However, each failure is followed by a growth spurt, nourished by increased reliance on me.” Jesus Calling, January 5 Building the fire In the past ten years, I’ve had seasons where I felt my faith had no option but to stay ablaze. I’...
