9/19 ((from Natalie)) I have a friend who affectionately refers to herself as my stalker.  Her persistence to “win” my friendship years ago was shameless.  She posted up at the espresso bar every weekday morning and chatted it up with me while I made her mocha.  She was very demanding particular about how she liked…

9/18 ((from Kate)) Have you ever watched a Disney movie and sympathized with the villain? Something in you is like “It’s okay Scar, you’re just misunderstood… I see you and your hyenas boo. You ain’t that bad.” No? When I assigned this week’s theme (“Which character resonates most deeply with you in Christ’s parables/stories?”) to…

9/17 ((from Bridget)) Praise the Lord, my soul;     all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul,     and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins     and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit     and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things     so that your youth is…

9/16 ((from Eve)) The presence of God is a powerful thing. His nearness is something our souls naturally long for because He is our Creator. “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Psalm 73:28 In fact,…

9/15 ((from Courtney)) El Shaddai. The Almighty. Forty-eight times in the Old Testament this Hebrew word appears. Forty-eight times we are reminded that our God is all mighty. There is nothing outside of His grasp. There is nothing that stretches His muscles. There is nothing that taxes His brain, and there is nothing that will fatigue Him….

9/14 ((from Jessica)) Jehovah Mekoddishkem, the God who sanctifies you… the Lord who makes you holy. Only two times in the Old Testament does God describe Himself using this specific title. “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between…

9/13 ((from Megan)) Though I have heard and love His many names, I still do not know them all and am entirely dumbstruck when He introduces Himself to me in yet a new and specific way right when I need it. How about that? My friend and Rescuer of almost twenty years, still showing up…

9/12 ((from Natalie)) Hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes… oh my!  There are plenty of legitimate reasons to feel panic and worry and dread, and that’s just referencing the current happenings of our natural world, let alone the relationships between nations and the details of our individual lives. It’s emotionally exhausting to watch 30 seconds of the…

9/11 ((from Kate)) Whether I didn’t have a roommate or a husband or was out of money or patience, it always unfolded the same way, I shouted and complained about God’s timing and lack of provision. And I always got the same response: “You don’t have it yet because you don’t need it yet.” AND IT…

9/10 ((from Bridget)) It was the fall of 2014.  I had been out of America for 2 years and was looking forward to some good old fashioned worship.  In fact, I was giddy getting the family ready for church that first morning. Were we really going to hear an entire sermon in our native tongue?…

9/9 ((from Eve)) As I type this post, I’m on my way home from a few glorious days away. It was a terrific trip and as I sat in a Starbucks and spent some time reflecting on what it is that made it so fun, I think it can be summarized by saying that I…

9/8 ((from Courtney)) I was crying. Blubbering like a fat baby. We were sitting in his car in front of the Christian bookstore. Just one week prior he had asked me to marry him, and I had said “yes.” But now the reality of the fact that I had said “yes” to a seminary student…