I shielded my eyes from the blaze of the sun, and let my elbow rest against the rough wood of the picnic table top. It was unbearably hot, a summer reality in North Carolina that I am still growing accustomed to. I bat at the pesky gnats swarming around my forehead and tilted my head
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Your Body Matters to God | 3 Principles of Christian Embodiment
I pulled the hand weight up to my shoulder, letting out one last grunt. I eyed myself from every angle in the mirror-clad room, as sweat dripped from the tip of my nose. Putting the weights back in their place, I gathered my things from the shelf (I’ve never had enough patience for a cool-down
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God is Greater than Your Heart
I sat in stubborn silence in the early hours of the morning. In the time set aside for study and prayer, I sat jaw-clenched in bed, my Bible resting in my lap just beyond my crossed arms. I had been asking God for something for months now, presenting the request faithfully and honestly on a daily
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Bold and Gentle: Being Both in a Polarizing World
I took a deep breath and put the book down. Sitting in bed with books and my Bible sprawled around me, the clock neared 5:30am. And even in that earliest of hours I could feel the fire in my belly being stoked by the words on the page. I was a woman born with a
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Do not Fear, Church | Christian Confidence for Election Season
I flicked my phone screen, scrolling down, down, down through an endless feed of political news. Each headline built on the one before it, their all-caps all-bold typeface seemingly screaming at me from the screen. One candidate’s aggressive proposal to further abortions in our nation, the other’s ongoing dismissal of those who are different than
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Breaking a Legacy of Legalism
Kids sports teams are a guaranteed source of humor. From lanky six year olds in baseball pants and cleats to round three year old bellies aimlessly running around the soccer field, sports teams for little ones are always colorful experiences. Throughout my childhood, my parents insisted that each of their nine – yes, nine –
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Three Times Waiting is Disobedience
This is a guest post by Ashley Lampkins: “Waiting on the Lord” is almost considered an extra spiritual gift in Christian circles. Now hear me out, there are times when the Lord calls us to very specific seasons of waiting. I trust that you will know when you are in that, because of wise counsel
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Someone has to Buy the Candles | Creating Space for Lament in Trying Times
This Friday morning is a dark one. We have woken the past three days to tragic news flashing across every screen we own. Blood and gunfire and crowds scattering and people screaming have been the wake up call to start our day in darkness. This morning I woke up and sat on our patio with
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The Unexpected Ministry of Chronic Illness
This is a guest post by Mary Frey. If you had told me 9 years ago that I would be broadcasting my daily life and health struggles on YouTube for thousands of people to watch, I would tell you, you are crazy! As an eager Bible college freshman, I had grand visions for what my