I have been reading through the Old Testament in my personal Bible reading, and I have enjoyed reading the stories of God’s faithfulness with his people. But I often struggle with their constant faithlessness. God shows himself time and time again and they grumble and complain. But what always strikes me most is that I know the end of the stories. I know that God fulfills all of his promises because I live on this side of their fulfillment—Christ’s coming to earth. I live on this side of the completion of the canon.
When We Say Goodbye
Death is such an ugly thing. In the last month Daniel and I have been to two funerals—one of them was his grandma’s. The night we got home from our mission trip we received a message that his grandmother was not doing well. That was a Friday. By Sunday she had passed away with her children by her side.
Update on NYC Missions Trip
Missions trip updates are always so hard. How do you fit seven days of ministry into a few short paragraphs? One of the benefits of going on a domestic mission trip is there is no "re-entry culture shock". Granted, I saw a lot of things that were different than what I am used to, but nothing like shacks with tin roofs and starving children. And there was always this sense that even though the culture around me was very different at times, I was still in America. It felt American in NYC. Maybe that is the beauty of our nation, you can be a minority in one part of town and yet still know that this is America. The nations have been brought to us.
Our First Missions Trip
The title is sort of misleading because really this isn't our first missions trip. But tomorrow morning we will head out, with our bags packed, for our first missions trip together as a married couple. And we are super excited! And of course, a little overwhelmed by all of the little details that need to be taken care of before we leave.
Missions Wednesday: Congo
Africa is a continent riddled with conflict, poverty, and HIV. The Republic of Congo is one of these countries. Congo (not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of Congo) is a former French colony, like many countries in Africa. Upon gaining its independence, it has faced civil wars and poverty, lived two decades as a socialist state, and is struggling to live under democracy with an authoritarian leader.
Jesus is the Fulfillment of Our Longings
For the last couple of years I have read through the short book Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus during the Christmas season. Even though I have read these short meditations on Christmas before, every year brings fresh truths to light for me. Each chapter brings me closer to the Savior and causes me to wonder in the fact that God came to earth. To win us back. It is astounding.
Facing our Fears: Part 5
When the shepherds were greeted by the angel in Luke 2 the first thing they heard was “fear not.” Anyone who sees an angel coming out of the sky has reason to fear. It’s unknown. It’s scary. But they are told not to fear. Do not be discouraged if you are fearful today. We all are fearful of something. Some of us fear more than others. The reality is we live in a scary, sinful world. Bad things happen all of the time, and sometimes to people we love deeply. The curse is everywhere. And Jesus came to reverse the curse.
Missions Wednesday: Israel
As Christians, when we hear about the country of Israel we tend to think about the biblical stories. We remember Jacob’s name being changed to Israel and his sons representing the twelve tribes of this new nation that would be God’s people. But for centuries following destruction from the Ottoman Empire, the actual nation of Israel was not even in existence. It was not until 1948 that the modern nation of Israel was even in existence. And it is much different today than it was during the reign of King David, or even the first coming of our King Jesus.
Help After Miscarriage: Knowing Your Friend
It is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage, in other words, as many as 25% of pregnant women will not carry a baby to term because of an early or middle pregnancy loss. This statistic does not include the scores of women who lose children through stillbirth or even early infant death. In some medical circles, these numbers reflect nothing more than an assumed defect or chromosomal abnormality. They are just statistics for research. But to a mom and dad, this number represents a life—shattered dreams for a child never held.
Packer on Suffering
Justin Taylor compiled some encouraging quotes from J.I. Packer on how to understand suffering in our lives. Usually I skim through his blog, but today I lingered. Every word from Packer pointed me to the God of all hope and comfort. I needed this today. May you be as encouraged as I was.