Suffering, Featured, Family, Faith
Courtney Reissig
Sin is Like Cancer

One of the scariest things in the early days of my diagnosis is that the pathology was unclear. Best case scenario, the cancer was contained. Worst case scenario, it had spread beyond what they could imagine. This fear was heightened by the fact that all the normal tests that catch cervical cancer failed to detect mine. I was diagnosed long after they usually diagnose women. And that terrified every medical professional I saw.

Sin is Like Cancer
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Developing a Long-term View of Life

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Seminary can be hard on a married couple. Sure it seems romantic and exciting to pledge to work and support your husband while he slaves away at his studies for three or four years (or maybe more). Once reality sets in the anticipation can fall flat with the papers, late nights, and often other work that commands his attention. For some life as a seminary couple is a breeze. But for many that is simply not the case. It takes hard work and commitment—and it most definitely takes a good dose of the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work.

Friday is for Food: Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

I love everything about summer. The weather, the longer days, and especially the food! Summer is great for cold dishes. I found this recipe a few years ago and now I have no idea where I got it! It has sort of morphed into my own creation over these years, so I am not even sure how accurate it is to the original. Daniel and I really enjoy it and it is super easy. It also works well as a potluck dish. And you know how us church-folk love potlucks (or at least the Reissig's do!).

Psalm 119 and Loving God's Word

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119. For a long time all I knew about this particular Psalm was its length. I skimmed over it in my devotion time because the amount of verses in one sitting scared me. They were intimidating. But God is so kind to change hearts, and he sure did with mine. A closer reading of this Psalm reveals the pleasure of treasuring God’s word and the sufficiency of his word for our daily lives.

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Repost: Celebrating Dependence

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I always look forward to the 4th of July. But as I prepared for the festivities today it caused me to think about what independence means for me as a Christian. Though I am very thankful today, and every day, for the freedoms that I have as an American citizen, I am not really a free and autonomous person. Nobody is. We are under the rule of the One who rules the universe. Psalm 24:1 says “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” As a Christian, my celebration of independence should be one of gratitude for the men who died so I can have basic liberties, but I also should recognize that I cannot get caught up in the rhetoric of rights. I belong to the Lord first, America second.

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Opting Out of Motherhood

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Every so often an expert will show up on national television talking about the growing changes in cultural norms regarding motherhood and marriage. So it was no real surprise when I caught this segment on CBS’ Early Show last Saturday morning. The expert was a marriage, family, and child therapist, and she was brought in to discuss the growing fact that one in five women of childbearing age are now opting not to have children.

Missions Wednesday: Sweden

With the rise of secularism across much of Europe, it is no wonder that in a 100 year span the percentage of professing Christians in Sweden could go from 99% to a mere 48% believing in the existence of God. But it has happened. Since 2000 the Church of Sweden has ceased to be the official state church, leaving the country of Sweden with now complete religious freedom.