In my work with church leaders and abuse victims, I’ve noted patterns of sin that precede almost every crisis. Had someone repented sooner, nipped sin in the bud, or held colleagues accountable, most abusive situations could be handled responsibly in a God-honoring way, rather than escalated or exacerbated.
Sola Gratia: Don’t Blame My Sin On Jesus
I’ve been doing a lot of contemplating about my “ministry” today. That word sounds so stuffy and prideful when applied to me. I’m not a minister and I’m not a preacher. I’m a mother who composes songs, writes blogs, is scribbling down a few novels, and likes to sing and play the piano. I would never dream of putting my “ministry” …
We are diamonds.
I remember the moment, 9 years ago, that my dad-in-law looked at my wedding ring diamond under a microscope. He said, “I’d know your diamond anywhere. It has a really unique imperfection.” I think people are like diamonds.
Killing The Lies: What Is Forgiveness, Really?
This is the first in a series of blogs about forgiveness. For a rough overview of talking points I’ll be covering, check out my “preface” blog to this series: The Top 10 Most Prevalent Lies About Forgiveness. Besides personal experience, I will be basing many of my ideas on Matthew 18, specifically verses 21-35. If you aren’t familiar with the …
The Top 10 Most Prevalent Lies About Forgiveness
I consider myself an expert on forgiveness. Seriously, anyone over the age of 20 who isn’t festering in bitterness is probably an expert on forgiveness. But forgiveness is still hard. Especially when we’re confronted with issues such as domestic violence, adultery, lies, betrayal, or theft. It’s hard to forgive people, especially friends and family, for taking advantage of our trust in them.
The Butterfly Philosophy
Just a snippet of some song lyrics I’m working on … Everything you do changes you, changes me, changes everything you think, What you hope, what you pray, changes everything you do; who you love, who you hate, what inspires your desire Lights a fire that burns in the windows of your soul. Everything you do is a cause, is effect, …