Faith
Celebrating the Next 15 Days of Advent
If you're anything like me, the holiday season tends to catch you out of nowhere. Despite having ten months to prepare, it seems like the minute we put up the tree, it's time to start planning Christmas logistics once again. In the midst of budgeting for presents,...
Learning to Lean Not On My Own Understanding
I wrote this post days after losing our first baby. It is raw and real and exactly how I was feeling in those moments. Since writing these words, God has taught me SO much which I cannot wait to share with you in future posts, but for now, I hope you will read with...
Valuing Souls Over Winning Arguments
For those who don't know, Austin and I met on our Speech and Debate team in college. Our love for speech bred so many things within us that are helpful to our marriage. We are both outgoing. We tend to be confident around groups of people. We can both talk until the...
Becoming an Effective Leader
Let’s be honest: leadership has many stereotypes in this Genesis 3 world. The world tends to see leadership is seen as a “manly” term. Sometimes it’s associated with people who bark orders to others. I have even this word to describe athletes, CEOs, and all the others...
How God Strengthens Us
Have you ever been in a season of waiting? Maybe it was waiting for something to begin: waiting for a pregnancy, waiting for husband, waiting for a job. Maybe it was waiting for something to end: waiting for sickness to be over, waiting for the anxiety to subside,...
What Happened to the Love?
I think we can all agree that this past year has been polarizing. We have all probably said something at one point or another that we never thought we would actually say out loud. We have typed and erased and typed and erased and typed once again comments that we...
This is Us.
As a young married couple trying to save for our first home, future family, and a fancy dinner every now and then, Austin and I seek to cut costs of everything we can. I cook for us 9/10 nights, he gave up his love for water bottles and switched to tap, and we trade...
Can I Ever Be Healed of This Sorrow?
She lost her parents in a car accident. Her husband left her for someone else. She held her grandfather's hand as his breath slipped away. The diagnosis was definite: stage four brain cancer. She would outlive her five-year-old son. The phone rang with the worst...
It’s God’s Testimony–Not Mine
I grew up in a really "Christian" environment. I asked Jesus into my heart when I was five years old. I went to a private Christian school where my favorite class was Bible. I took part in every church activity. I loved Sunday mornings. At a distance, the world might...
The Basis of Grace: Reading through Romans Week 2
It is 2003, and my ten year old husband and his little brother had a school bus to run. There was only one thing that kept the two from enjoying school to its fullest extent: their lunch money wouldn't afford them a daily cinnamon bun. There was no room in the budget...
Reading through Romans: Week 1
Hey Ladies! As promised in my previous post, this is the first of eight weeks you and I will be going through the book of Romans together! These are some of my most cherished verses of Scripture as God use them to grow my affinity for Him by about a hundred fold. In...
How to Study your Bible
Every now and then my husband and I get a chance to sleep in until we decide to get up. As young marrieds without kiddos, we cherish the time to just lay in bed as long as God gives that to us. The time before little ones appear at the foot of our bed. On these days,...
August 5: Entrusted
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, (1 Timothy...
August 4: Decreased
"He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 ESV) I love the simplicity of this verse. Seven small words. One simple concept--so it seems. While we say these words with all of the confidence in the world that we know exactly how to implement them, I believe...
August 3: Sovereignty over Authority
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. (Daniel 1:8 ESV) I find myself in continual frustration toward our nations...
August 2: My Ways
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:2-3 ESV) I have a bad reputation in my family for always needing to be right. When I am convinced of...
August 1: Dwelling Place
Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. (Psalm 91:9-10 ESV) When I read the words "dwelling place" the first thing that comes to my mind is my home. It's...
July 31: Favor
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:17 ESV) What do you think of when you consider the favor of the Lord? Is it money? Fame? Maybe it is just a healthy family or to...
July 24: And They Followed
And he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (John 1:36-37) Have you ever placed yourself in the shoes of the apostles? Let's say you're at work or school or just out...
July 23: Kingdom Lens
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. (Ezekiel 43:2) I am consistently the WORST at making decisions. Whether it is deciding what I want...
July 22: Choose who Approves
Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. (Proverbs 14:7 ESV) Of all the little sayings that are stereotypical of moms, the one that has proven to be one of the most necessary in my own life is choose your friends. Like anything with...
July 21: Satisfied in the Morning
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14 ESV) My favorite place in the world is nature in the morning. I love to hear waves crashing and dolphins jumping and feel sand between my toes as I look onto...
July 20: Provision
And the king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the...
July 19: Sabbath
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places. (Leviticus 23:3 ESV) Sabbath has meant a lot of things to a lot of people over the...
July 18: Sibling Kind of Love
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, (1 Thessalonians 4:9 ESV) Hey, friends! If you haven't noticed, I've been off the grid for the last couple of weeks. My man and I...
Hurry Up and Rest… To Discipline Your Desires
Here we are at the end of our resting challenge. Yes, it has lasted a little longer than we initially agreed upon, but a week of rest has been so sweet. Don't get me wrong, it has been a busy week! Over the last seven days, we have gone back to our hometown, attended...
July 6: False Gospels
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the...
July 5: To Hate
The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil... (Proverbs 8:13 ESV) Yesterday in our reading plan, we discussed the fear of the Lord as the best thing we can possess. Well, apparently He wanted us to keep going on that theme because this small, powerful phrase can be found...
Hurry up and Rest… To Renew Your Thirst
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:2 I have to apologize. I said that I would be posting about rest four days in a row, and this is the first time I...
July 4: To Fear
But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? (Psalm 76:7 ESV) Yesterday, Austin and I browsed the medicine aisle at Petco in search of calming aid for our dog. With Independence Day upon us, there will be a lot of riding in...
July 3: Undeserved
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. (1 Kings 21:20 ESV) Let me give you some context for this verse. Ahab was the seventh king of Israel, and...
July 1: Relationships Like Jesus
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)...
Hurry Up and Rest… to Prepare for War
Hey friends! I hope you guys have had a sweet couple of days of rest. I'll tell you, what. These days have been difficult and the enemy has been working. At the times I know I need to put everything down and focus on Jesus, something has come up. A conversation is...
June 30: Healing
And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." And he laid his hands on...
Hurry Up and Rest… To Gain Perspective
Welcome back, resters! You have made your way to the first official day of our four-day resting challenge. Over the next few days, we are going to make a habit of intentional, spiritual resting before the Lord. If you haven't already check out yesterday's post, Hurry...
June 29: I Am Israel
You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the LORD. This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the...
Hurry Up and Rest: A Four Day Challenge
Wake up. Make coffee. Drink coffee. Put on clothes. Go to the gym. Come back. Shower. Get ready for work. Take the dog out. Go to work. Work, work, work. Drive home. Gather dirty clothes. Do laundry. Cook dinner. Eat dinner. Switch clothes. Watch weeknight drama. Fold...
June 22: Unfathomable Glory
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25-26) Tomorrow two of my best friends are going to marry each other. Yay!...
June 21: Control
Moreover, the LORD will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. (1 Kings 14:14 ESV) Have you ever wanted something so bad that you felt you might move heaven and earth just to get it? Maybe it is a child. Maybe it is a...
June 20: Gravity of Sin
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the...
June 19: One
There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6) I am not a decision-making kind of gal. You...
June 18: Take My Fears
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do..." (Luke 12:4 ESV) I have always battled fear. As a little kid, I had nightmares that sent me running to my parents' bedroom. As a teenager, I was too...
June 17: Steadfast Seeking
And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn. (Ezekiel 2:3-4) Imagine you...
June 15: My Words
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. (Proverbs 4:20-21) I stood in the gym one morning before the sun had fully made its appearance. My brain was muddled and I was...
June 14: The Same God
Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him... Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast...
The Best Prosperity
This past weekend, Austin and I attended a wedding in the same little wooden chapel in which we said our own vows. It is a chapel that lies on the property of the church where I first trusted in Jesus and where Austin first learned what being part of the Body of...
June 13: Because His Children
Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness." (1 Kings 10:9 ESV) Think of a time in your life when the Lord...
June 12: Pleasing Aroma
But the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (Leviticus 1:13 ESV) Praise God for Jesus's blood and body sacrifice. As...
June 11: Cure
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through...
June 10: Remind Yourself of Jesus
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:20 ESV) Y'all, the first year of marriage is hard. Don't get me wrong, it is so so good. But it is a truly sanctifying experience. Though it has now been ten months,...
June 9: Wait
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. (Lamentations 3:25 ESV) I believe I am probably the least patient person that exists. Just to remind you that I know I am a serious sinner I'll tell you a little fun fact about myself. Since I...
June 8: Trust
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV) The words in this verse used to be the lyrics to my favorite song. I remember these words...
June 7: Power Source
Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:35 ESV) Have you ever heard the phrase, "God won't give you anything you can't handle"? It's a popular word of encouragement in...
June 6: Open Hands
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven (1 Kings 8:22 ESV) I have this awesome friend named Audrey. Two years ago, we traveled together to East Asia to share the Gospel with a...
Daily Devotions
Good morning, Beloved ones! I want to announce that I will now be posting my daily devotions onto this website directly. So good news! For those of you who are following me via email, you will now receive devotions in your inbox each morning. If you are not following...
More Grace.
I am so good at convincing myself that this is the last time. This is the last time that I will engage in this sin. This is the last day I will skip my Quiet time (speaking of, I forgot this morning--I'm a sinner--and still have to do that today). This is the last...
The Power of the Mouth
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” we heard over and over again as children. Yet they always seemed to be the thing that sent little girls crying to the teacher and little boys from asking to never have to go back to school. We bury...
Choose Family. Choose the Church.
Nothing quite connects a family like going through great change with one another. In the last year of my life, I have arguably gotten as close to my family as I ever have been because of all the emotions we have traveled through with one another. My sister and I are...
The Good Gift of Transition
In light of resting in a God who transcends my transitions, let’s dive into the book of James. It is a book that encapsulates the early Church’s transition period post-Messiah and pre-second coming.
The Beauty of my Interracial Marriage
"Stomp, hop, step, fa-lap, step, stomp," I whispered over and over again, though my feet did not follow the words coming from my mouth. My seven-year-old self just knew she was going to be a phenomenal tap dancer. The little girl next to me had it down, so naturally,...
Being Knit Together in Love…
I am a camp girl through and through. Starting as an eight-year-old, I marked my calendar for that one anticipated week each year. I began packing weeks in advance, planned out all my outfits for worship, and looked forward to nothing more than getting out of my...
The Brilliance of Jesus
Simple truths guide our lives. It's simply true that I have class at 9 am most days. It's simply true that if I drink coffee too late, I won't go to sleep. It's simply true that I have got to go to the grocery today or I am going to starve my husband. Last week, we...
The Simple Gospel
The Gospel is the means by which I breathe. The means by which I am married. The means by which I write. Sound dramatic? Maybe. False? Absolutely not. Let me clarify. My entire being longs for my own satisfaction. Every time I see something or someone I know will...
Jesus Dance
My favorite place in the whole world is in the grip of my husband's arms, head against his chest, swaying to the sweet sound of notes harmonizing perfectly. Sometimes those notes are in our head, sometimes they blare from speakers surrounding us. My favorite place to...
Living like Ruth in a Boaz Obsessed World
Do you have one of those sisters that just continually challenges you? Mine is Taylor Holcombe. We met as freshmen in college and immediately became the best of friends. We were both in relationships, which moved to singleness, which moved to boy craziness, which...
Where You Go, I’ll Go
In the midst of election and inauguration season, we hear the word freedom thrown around in conversation and social media daily. But what do we really mean by freedom? I got curious and decided to look it up. Two definitions popped on my screen: "the power or right to...
But God… An Introduction to Ruth’s Story
I sat in the hospital waiting room clutching my ginger ale wondering if I was living a dream. My heart was simultaneously still and beating out of my chest. "But God... Why her?" I whispered, scared I might lose the first person in my life I loved with everything in...
Changing my Prayer Life in 2017
As little ones, my sister and I didn't always get along very well. We were often at each other's throats or trying to get the other one in trouble with our parents to avoid our own punishment. There were a few times, however, that we attempted to save the other from...
What Not to Fall for in 2017
*Sigh* It's all over. The Christmas lights, the carols, the loads of fattening, sugary food baking in the oven. So this week, we prepare to clean it all up, and do it again. For some 2016 has been a year of great shock. For many, it has been a year of celebration. We...
The Christmas Story=The Gospel Story
I just spent the last day thinking about what exactly I will write during this Christmas week. Over the last two weeks we have explored three characters leading up to Jesus's birth: Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph. Because this week is the one that leads up to Christmas,...
Through The Eyes of a Father
Not too long ago, I watched the home video of my parents' stay in the hospital just after my birth. My parents were young--23 and 25--and I was their first. You could tell they were playing it cool, but secretly, they had not idea what was coming for them. We had to...
What Christmas Means For Our Worship
Hey friends! I'm so glad you came back for the second week of me going on and on about Christmas time. If you didn't get a chance to read my post from last week about what Christmas means for us, go check it out! It'll give you a little context into this week. When...
What Christmas Means for His Bride
IT'S HERE! My favorite, favorite, FAVORITE time of the year. Since Thanksgiving, I have shown my husband the proper way to begin celebrating this season: I have made him help put up three Christmas trees, listen to countless Christmas songs, and even assist me in...
Running a Race of Affliction
One of my favorite stress relievers is running. It started because I didn't want my parents to out-do me in their athleticism (although the very quickly did) and now is just something I love to do to release endorphins and forget the worries of the world. I often do...
The Best of Love Stories
This is a hard week for my family. Our days have been guided by an anxious awaiting of news we expect to be bad, and our nights have been filled with dreams of happier days. My grandfather is fighting the end stages of leukemia. On the way to the hospital early this...
It’s a Relentless Pursuit: Hosea 2
I will never forget my first giant fight with Austin. It was while we were in the early stage of dating. The funny thing is that I have no idea what it was about, but I can guess that I was desperately needing to be right about something. I was driving my little...
It’s a Relentless Pursuit: Hosea 1
A few weeks ago, someone posed a terrifying question to me: What if Austin cheated on you? First of all, what a conversation starter, right? But it really did make me consider how that might feel. You see, when we entered this covenant relationship, we swore to remain...
Bearing the Burdens of the Bride
While many people assume Austin and I met through church or some kind of faith community, we actually met in college speech. The first time we locked eyes was my freshman year and his junior year. I was pursuing someone else at the time, and as he explains, he was...
Lasting Freedom
Over the summer I got my fix on "Fixer Upper." For some reason, I find it deeply pleasing to see a seemingly irredeemable building torn down and built back up. And there is just something about Joanna Gaines that makes me believe that I too can make a room look like...
What About Kids? Answering the Infamous Question.
One of my favorite things about writing online is answering the questions so many want to know, but feel weird asking--especially when the answer allows me to talk about my Savior! For those of you who have been following, we are over half-way through Galatians today....
Calling Out My Own Prejudice
• • • • • • • • • • • For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in...
Dirty Dishes & God’s Grace
• • • • • • • I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if...
Jesus+Nothing
As each season of my life passes, I feel that I daily learn the same theme in a new way: I have got to be in my word. Whether my scripture reading habit is strong or weak, I never feel that I should spend less time in Scripture. But I am going to get vulnerable for a...