Rooted in Assurance

I have debated whether or not I should write this, and even how to. My heart is broken. This weekend, amongst the sunshine and singing birds brought by the seemingly endless rain, my friend and brother in Christ was laid to rest. The summer of 2013, I attended a church camp over the summer with my dad’s sister and her family. I didn’t know anyone on this trip besides my cousins, and I was nervous and honestly a little terrified. That week, we had the typical youth camp “emotional worship night.” Feeling a little lost and alone, a motley crew of dudes welcomed me into their friend group, putting their arms around my shoulders as we worshipped our creator. Through them, I discovered what it really meant to have brothers and sisters in Christ; I had been to church several times growing up, even to other youth camps. But that week I really understood grace for the first time, and I am thankful for that goofy group that welcomed me. Shortly after camp, my dad’s sister and her h...

"Don't dig up in doubt what you've planted in faith." -Elisabeth Elliot Happy New Year! And with the opening of another year, let the resolutions begin, right? We've set our goals, excited for a new slate and opportunities to better ourselves, our communities, and maybe even our world. But maybe hard times have already set in, or rolled over from the previous year. Perhaps you're a little jaded from past valleys and failures, unsure of how you can move forward. I know that's how I am feeling right now. I didn't really go into the year quite the way I wanted to. Having just moved to a new state after graduation, and with the passing of my grandma just before Christmas, I have wrestled with my faith. I've struggled to find community and make new friends, to get into a workout routine that keeps me healthy, and to grieve the losses that don't feel real yet. I thought I would know where I was going to law school by now, settled into a...

"Of one thing I am perfectly sure, God's story never ends in ashes." -Elisabeth Elliot As I write this post, I sit in my grandparent's living room with my family. This summer, my gramuver was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. This week, we brought her home from the hospital in order to begin comfort care for her. It is painful to watch loved ones battle unseen enemies, to face a sea of unknowns, and to wrestle with God and strive to comprehend his goodness. But I am reminded of Elisabeth Elliot's quote, "Of one thing I am perfectly sure, God's story never ends in ashes." Sometimes, the holiday season isn't always what you expect it to be. The things we hoped for, fought for, thought we had already attained, sometimes turn to ashes. Perhaps a relationship ended, a loved one passed away, a job was lost, or other unexpected tragedies occurred. These events can bring us to our knees, no matter the perceived size of pain, by you ...

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." - Philippians 4:8. *The topic of this post is mature and is not intended for younger readers* Recently, I've noticed increased debate around several Christmas songs, specifically the classic, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Many feel that this song encourages rape, referring to the phrase "Say what's in this drink," as well as the consistent back and forth of a woman saying she must leave, and a man convincing her to stay. This debate is nothing new, only it has become increasingly poignant through the lens of the #MeToo movement. But at one point, it was championed by many as a great win for women. So what's the real story? And how should we really be treating this song and others like it? Well. For other millennial...

"This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book. Don't allow small seeds to grow into huge plants." -Coach When I was in high school, my uncle (whom I will refer to as Coach for the rest of this post) would meet with students on Friday nights at a local Starbucks. We would sit around a large table on the patio, and ask the tough questions about life and religion. The goal was an open forum, a place anyone could come, regardless of faith, and learn about the Jesus of the Bible. It started small, just our family, but grew over the next two years to over 30 students, ranging in age from middle school to college. During one of those Friday nights, Coach told us something that has stuck with me all these years; I even wrote his words down in the cover of my bible, now falling apart a bit at the binding. "This book is truth. Absolute. This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book. Don't allow small seeds to grow ...

“Never look for justice in this world, never cease to give it.”  - Oswald Chambers A few months ago, I wrote a post during the early stages of the Me Too movement on my own experiences. Since then, the movement has only continued to grow as society wrestles with the issues of sexual assault and harassment.  Recently, our culture has almost been at war over the Brett Kavanaugh hearings and what it means for women's rights. I am not here to comment on this situation, we all have opinions but only a few know the facts. I will not put forward an opinion on something I don't have all the information on.  However, I do have questions about how we respond to times like these, especially as christians. What do we do when an accusation is made? In criminal courts, innocence is presumed until guilt can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil courts, a preponderance of evidence is needed to win a case. If someone is actually guilty of something like sexual a...

Sojourn: A temporary rest or stay in the midst of a journey. At various points in the Bible, believers are referred to as sojourners, or foreigners in a strange land, staying for a brief amount of time. For example, Abraham and Sarah were sojourners in Egypt (Genesis 12:10) as they followed God's calling for their lives. God told Abraham to leave his family and his home in order to find the land that God would show him (Genesis 12:1-5). Abraham, then called Abram, didn't even know where he was going. However, God promised to bless him and make his name great. And Abraham went. That doesn't mean his decision was easy or enjoyable. Sometimes, you will walk through deep valleys, and you don't know how you will ever make it out the other side. Even while in Egypt, Abraham defied God and gave his wife Sarah to Pharaoh, saying she was his sister. This brought plagues onto the Egyptians until Pharaoh gave Sarah back to Abraham, sending them both out of the count...