Tag: fear

Should Christians be immune to fear?

Should Christians be immune to fear?

I’m afraid. That’s the first time I’ve said it out loud since this all began. As a follower of Jesus, I know I have not been given a Spirit of fear; I claim that! As a mother, I believe it’s my job to create calm and stability for my kids. I’ve been trying to do that. As an employee, I am grateful to still have a job, one that challenges me creatively, one I can do from home. I embrace

What you miss by being a Christian

person holding pamphlet

Today as I was walking into the grocery store an older gentleman, with kind eyes, handed me a pamphlet. The front of it said in big bold letters: “What you miss by being a Christian”. As a chronic people-pleaser I have a hard time saying no to people handing out fliers, samples, or anything else that’s given freely and with a smile. So I stuck the pamphlet in my purse and later, when I got back to my office, I

What do we say to the parents?

woman comforting friend

At least 31 killed in weekend mass shootings. That’s what the headline read. I recall a particularly dark night, a little more than a year ago when I held my son, helping him to calm his breathing and slow his tears. I won’t go into details, but suffice to say my son, who has OCD and an anxiety disorder, went to a terrifying place and was almost swallowed up by it. As I whispered words of comfort and Truth in

Bold, Brave & Blessed – A free gift for you

Bold, Brave & Blessed – A free gift for you

Last year I decided to do a 90 day thanks and giving challenge, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The day I started this challenge just happened to be the day before my son started a new medication. What followed was four of the hardest parenting weeks I’ve had in a long time. There were many days I faced my own limitations, fear, and anxiety as I struggled to help my son, seek answers, and trust the doctor. I

Who am I?

praying woman

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” – Exodus 3:11 This was Moses’s response to God when He called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. It was the first of several creative excuses or arguments as to why he wasn’t qualified, ending with a raw and honest plea for God to pick another…anyone but him. “Pardon your servant Lord, but please send someone else.”

The littlest evangelist

children in a field

“And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3 I read a story today about an early Twentieth-Century evangelist named Gypsy Smith. As the story goes, Gypsy came to know Jesus as a child, but he was worried about his uncle’s salvation. Being a child, he knew it would be seen as disrespectful to say this out-loud to his uncle, so he fervently

My biggest fear

Fear

This past Sunday and again last night in our Bible study, the topic was fear. I’ve never felt embarrassed to admit that I am afraid of a lot of things. From the mundane like heights and snakes, to the irrational like swallowing a spider in my sleep (I don’t care what Snopes says about this, ever since I read that made-up statistic I am afraid of spiders crawling in my mouth). I regularly share with my friends and husband my fears

Small moments, Big impact

Small moments, Big impact

Have you ever looked at your life and wondered, “what is my legacy? How am I making a difference in this world?” I think for some people it’s very clear. Pastors, missionaries, humanitarians and aid workers — these people can see how they are influencing lives and doing God’s work on a daily basis. For the rest of us, it may be hard to look at our lives and know how/if we are leaving a mark. Sometimes the way people touch our

I survived the canoe disaster of 2014

Canoeing in Oyster Bay

Let me set the stage for you. It’s a sunny, beautiful June day in Chincoteague Island, VA. My family and I are here on our annual pilgrimage for a relaxing vacation in our favorite  beach town in the world. We’ve hauled our kayak and canoe the 5.5 hours from our home in the Shenandoah Valley in anticipation of some fun paddling adventures and decided today is the day. We’re not amateurs, mind you. My husband is an avid kayak fisherman