Rooted in Assurance

   The burden of our past can be a heavy one. We have all stumbled in some way, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. At times we can feel overwhelmed by the weight of our inequities and failures, as if we could never be saved or forgiven, as if we are defined by our pasts. I think one area the enemy loves to exploit and that burdens us in a way other sins don't is the topic of purity. Some questions that I have heard others ask and that I have asked as well include, "What does purity mean? What does that look like in my life? What if my purity has been diminished?"    God has been working on my heart this week through the Revive our Hearts series "God's Beautiful Design for Women." Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth has been walking through Titus 2, and even has a book titled "Adorned" on the same topic, which is also changing my life. I actually cried on the bus at school while reading the description of her w

      Forgiveness doesn't always come easy; it requires humility and grace. Our pride, on the other hand, can create major barriers in our life when it comes to healing and forgiveness. "Why should I humble myself and seek out the other party? They messed up, not me. How dare they do this to me?"     Our society loves to support this mindset, encouraging us to get back at the other person, even when the other party may not have done anything to us, and our pain is caused by a perceived injustice. We are told to hurt them as much as they hurt us, to cut everyone else out of our lives and walk around with a chip in our shoulder. We choose to blame our brokenness and problems on another sinful and broken person. By doing this, we lose sight of our identity and where our healing comes from.     Thankfully, we don't have to live our lives bound to the bitterness and pain. I've heard it said that a lack of forgiveness is like drinking poison to spite the person

  I admit it, every Monday I sit down with my roommates and watch The Bachelor. I'm not going to shame anyone for watching it; but I think we can be honest with ourselves and each other. What does it say about us that this is entertainment? That love is literally nothing but a game? That's not what I want, not for myself, for my friends, or my family. It's heartbreaking. These girls and guys are seeking satisfaction from something/someone who can never give it to them. I can't help but ponder Raven's words after Nick sent her home:   "He was everything I want, but it still wasn't enough. What could I do differently? Is it just that no one can feel that way about me? I wish more than anything I could just find love, but I don't know if it's even possible. Why even look for something that's not possible?" Of course Nick's words didn't help. "I love you, but I'm just not sure I'm in love with you." Dude, that&

      November 14, 2016, at 1:27 AM my family welcomed my sweet niece, Aurora "Rory" Paige into the world, and God blessed us with two amazing weeks with our warrior princess . To God's glory, we are still witnessing the impact her life had on those around her.   I can't speak for the rest of my family or our friends and the lessons they learned from this beautiful girl, but I can share what God has laid on my heart during this time.   Rory was a fighter, our miracle, overcoming what seemed like insurmountable odds. You see, not only was she premature at 31 weeks (and just 1 lb 15 oz), but my niece was diagnosed with a rare disease known as Trisomy 18, or Edwards Syndrome. Rory was born with an extra chromosome, much like Down Syndrome, except, for our tiny warrior, this meant that her organs did not form as they should. This is a rare, and random, genetic defect caused by meiotic disjunction, a problem in cell division.   There was nothing that could have pre