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I Love Stories About Orphans. Why?
The majority of bestselling stories (at least in middle grade and YA) feature an orphan protagonist. Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and The Mysterious Benedict Society all feature orphans. And even The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson feature main characters raised by one parent, in both cases the mother, with the father either dead or out of the picture. In my own writing, I have found myself gravitating towards writing stories about orphans who get adopted by kings or chiefs, and orphans who play a large role in saving their world and families. This has led me to ask myself the question: why do we love stories about…
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Creative Ways to Spend Time With God
We can all agree that spending time with God should be a high priority. And yet, we often have a set image of what a devotional life is and what it looks like. In our minds, having quiet time with God looks like waking up early to sit somewhere, read the Bible, and pray without interruptions. This is one way a devotional time can look, but today I want to explore creative ways of spending time with God that carry meaning while being outside of the box. Writing Letters to God Think about this as becoming pen pals with God. One of my favorite ways to pray is to write…
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How God Speaks Through the Bible and What It Actually Feels Like
We’ve all been told that one of the best ways to hear the voice of God is through His Word. But how, exactly, does this work? What does it look like? After all, opening the Bible to a random page and pointing at a verse can land you in some pretty bizarre places. If you are seeking to hear God’s voice, opening your Bible to “you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk” won’t be too helpful for your current situation. (Unless you wanted to know the proper way of cooking goat according to the Law of Moses…) Today, we will dive into what hearing God through…
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The Tension Between Abiding and Striving
There has been a surge in trends such as slow living, offline living, and analog hobbies. In a society rushing about to do more and hopefully, one day, become more, many people are pushing back against the grind and seeking to make space for meaningful living. This makes sense when one looks at the average amount of screen time per person per day (6 hours and 40 minutes according to Google). People want their lives back, and I believe this is a good thing. God designed us for slow living. Not unproductive, lazy lives, but fulfilling lives that aren’t intent on burning themselves out on an endless quest for meaning.…
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You Have What It Takes to Make Disciples
The end goal of evangelism is to make disciples. When evangelism only gets converts without discipling them, just part of the Great Commission is being fulfilled. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Evangelism is essential for the expansion of God’s kingdom and the establishing of Heaven on Earth. But converts who don’t know how to be Jesus followers will be weak and ineffective Christians. This is where discipleship comes in. Many people believe that evangelism is the job of big personality evangelists, and discipleship is the job of men or women pastoring a local church.…
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Five Simple Ways to Spend Time With Jesus Throughout Your Busy Week
If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time, you’ve heard about the importance of spending time with God and developing a devotional life. And yet, for many, this seems like a daunting task. I’ve met many people who struggle to start developing the habit of spending time with God because it seems like a huge, time consuming commitment. Spending time with God is a commitment, and it is important, but it also doesn’t have to be an overwhelming prospect. I believe that if we take small steps, we will make progress whereas if we try to make big leaps out of the blue we will only land flat…
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Five Middle-Grade Series That Have Shaped Who I Am
There is a long list of middle-grade books that live rent free in my head. I’ve always been drawn to this genre and that has made me wonder: why? It’s about more than the whimsical settings, the creative plots and the high stakes. The thing that constantly draws me in is the characters themselves, and their journey to finding family, community, and a place of belonging. It’s the stories of normal people with big fears, going through life and discovering greatness in themselves. Middle grade is fascinating because it perfectly portrays what someone believing in you can do to transform your life. I find many middle grade books so uplifting…
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A Call to Encounter the Living God
In a world where many people are deconstructing, reconstructing, or dismantling their faith, I have found myself wondering what the essentials are and why we find ourselves adding embellishments to our relationship with God. I have seen countless people pursue religion from a hollow soul, doing outward works but never experiencing true, internal transformation. I have seen people lose themselves in “ministry”, pursuing the expansion of God’s kingdom. And yet, the true pursuit of God cannot lead to empty, dead tradition. The true pursuit of God (as seen throughout the Bible and history) changes us, transforms us inside and out, and pushes us forward towards becoming more like Christ. It…
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What The Fellowship of the Ring Teaches Us About Community
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) Throughout the epic quest of Lord of the Rings, there is one character that stands out for his valor, steadfastness, loyalty, and determination. Samwise Gamgee, an ordinary hobbit whose life aspiration was tending a garden and having a family, becomes essential to Frodo’s quest to journey into the land of Mordor and destroy the ring. Through every trial, Sam remains by Frodo’s side, willing to risk and lose it all in order to see his friend succeed. What would happen if all of us were so dedicated to our friendships…
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What We Learn About Prayer From When Calls the Heart
How many times have we prayed in an attempt at changing our circumstances? Many of us have even prayed with the sole intention of changing God’s mind. And yet, prayer is less about us and more about God working His will in and through us. True prayer is all about getting our own hearts to beat in time with God’s. When this aligns, then the worries surrounding us shift, not necessarily because they have changed, but rather, because we have. “Before prayer changes others, it first changes us.” – Billy Graham Prayer Lessons From Elizabeth Thatcher As I thought about the transformative power of prayer, I was reminded of one…
