Walking the walk: 3 ways to follow Jesus

March 31, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

The other day I bought myself a spiffy new pair of walking shoes. There were many styles of shoes to choose from but walking is all I can do these days. I suffer from a chronic illness that (for now) prevents me from running, cross training and anything else that requires me to jump around. […]

Skills: Do you have what it takes to teach about Jesus?

March 7, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:30 When I was in third grade, I […]

Mary and Elizabeth: Bearing fruit for the kingdom

January 30, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

In case my header for this post didn’t clue you in, I’m still thinking about fruit . . . the spiritual kind of course. Jesus’s mother, Mary, had a cousin named Elizabeth who lived about 60 miles away in the hill country of Judea. Elizabeth was married to Zechariah, a priest. The Bible says they […]

Spiritual Fruit: Five questions to help you live a fruitful life

January 21, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. Romans 7:4 (emphasis mine) I’ve been thinking a lot about fruit lately. As believers, we’re […]

Friends are like pancakes

January 8, 2015.Reading time 2 minutes.

Friends are like pancakes. Making the first one is hardest and sometimes has to be tossed (or in this case eaten). They come in all kinds of shapes colors and sizes and sometimes they even come with little ones. The thing they all require is attention, patience and often, sacrifice. I’ve been struggling in the […]

Offering the gift of Christ at Christmas

December 22, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed […]

The Way

November 9, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Isaiah 35:4 Living with fear, especially in our day and age – these days of brazen and barbaric wickedness – can seem like a normal way […]

5 Ways to Defeat Discouragement

November 6, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

Discouragement withers the soul. Oh, and how fast it comes upon and over us. It enrobes us – no, it smothers. If we let it. If we let it. It comes in a variety of […]

Secret Prayers

October 11, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus (Matthew 6:6) Walking like Jesus requires an active prayer life – active, and yet hidden. If it weren’t so, Jesus wouldn’t have […]

How do you get your best rest?

September 6, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

By Erika Rizkallah “There are no second acts in American lives.” F. Scott Fitzgerald According to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control an estimated 50 to 70 million American adults suffer from sleep deprivation. I think the often debated quote by Fitzgerald explains part of the problem. By “second acts,” I don’t […]