Beloved Unlovely

New Boundless article, by yours truly:

Beloved Unlovely

You should read it. It's good.

There was a man standing in front of me. He was visibly intoxicated, and he reeked of mouth wash (I later found out sometimes alcoholics drink a certain brand of mouth wash when they can't get hold of alcohol). He was dirty, smelly and scary.

I was speechless.

And then he spoke. "I was headed in the other direction down the path when God told me to come over here and talk to you."

I didn't know whether I should be praising God for this confirmation or running for the hills.

The Giving Heart of the Father

A devotional I wrote was published today on Park Street's website.

It's called "The Giving Heart of the Father".

Here's an excerpt:

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus admonishes us to give to those who ask us for something. He goes on to say later “when you give to the needy.” He doesn’t say, “If you give” or “When you have extra”; He says “when you give”, as if it were understood that giving is a vital part of following Him.

Now go read it :)

Opportunities for Joy

Another article of mine was published in Boundless :)

Opportunities for Joy

Great Article over at Boundless Yesterday

My good friend Randy Thomas wrote a challenging article over at Boundless yesterday.

Chased, Caught

Be sure to read it :)

2 Timothy 2:13

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

This is one of the coolest verses in the Bible. In order for God NOT to be faithful in our lives, He would have to deny Himself or disown (as some translations say) Himself.

This verse has been very encouraging to me as I've watched a friend grapple with some real questions about the character of God. It can be challenging to not just jump in & try to fix it because I've been where she is & I know how painful & difficult those feelings are. But I can't fix it; only God can. God has reminded me that His faithfulness does not depend on us; He is faithful because that's the core of His character.

I recently heard Sy Rogers talk about God's character. He gave an analogy that God is sort of like the ocean. We can't know everything that's in the ocean, what every part of it looks like, or what types of animals are in different parts of the ocean. What we do know is that through & through, the ocean is salty. If the ocean is not salty, then it's not ocean; it's just regular water.

I may not understand all God is doing or all He chooses to allow, but I know that through & through, He is faithful and good and loving. That I know for sure.

Great Article over at Boundless Today

There's a great article over at Boundless today called "Remember the Poor, Part I".

Remembering the poor goes beyond dropping change in an offering plate or writing a monthly check to a relief organization — although these are virtuous acts of generosity. Jesus calls us to go a step further and become friends with the poor — to develop relationships with them.

You should go read it :)

Gratitude

It seems when life gets more difficult & I'm feeling low, God shows me how much He cares for me in the little things.

1. I won free raw chocolate yesterday.
2. I paid $2.95/gallon for gas today.
3. One of my best friends is getting married today.
4. My dress alterations for the wedding were only $18 instead of $93.
5. I got some great deals at Rite Aid & Walgreens this morning.
6. I found the time to make gluten-free muffins yesterday & gluten-free scones today to bring for my gluten-free friends at the wedding.
7. I have a wonderful family that includes a husband, a son & a dog.

Sometimes all we need is a reminder of the many blessings we have to gain perspective on those things that feel overwhelming.