life. faithful.

Life is just plain crazy sometimes (right now, for sure), and I haven't gotten the chance to put more than a couple of sentences together in what seems like ages. Believe me when I say that it's adding to the insanity for me--Nathan has said many times that writing is my therapy, the thing that keeps me sane. I'm a word person, but I'm not a big talker. That changes if you know me really well (or if it's really late at night...there's something about that time that makes my defenses come down), but for the most part I would rather do my talking on paper. My mind is a chaotic, jumbled place, with totally unrelated thoughts bumping into the thoughts I actually want to have and getting all mixed in together. You see, I think sometimes my mouth moves too fast for my brain and the words come out before I have a chance to really think about them, and then they come out all jumbled. When I write, though, I guess there's more processing time between my head and m...

"Fragmented, my self knows no peace. I cannot remember what it's like to be happy. 'Failed,' I say to myself. 'My hope fails in the face of what the Eternal One has done.' Grievous thoughts of affliction and wandering plagued my mind-- great bitterness and gall. Grieving, my soul thinks back; these thoughts cripple, and I sink down. Gaining hope, I remember and wait for this thought: How enduring is God's loyal love; the Eternal has inexhaustible compassion. Here they are, every morning new! Your faithfulness, God, is is broad as the day. Have courage, for the Eternal is all that I will need. My soul boasts, ' Hope in God; just wait. ' It is good. The Eternal One is good to those who expect Him, to those who seek Him wholeheartedly. It is good to wait quietly for the Eternal to make things right again." ~Lamentations 3:17-26 So often, the Christian life is preached as being one that makes people "h...

No matter which side of the issue you're on, you should read Melissa Ohden's book, You Carried Me. I just finished this book, and it's definitely worth your time. I received the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review, so the words here are entirely my own opinion. Melissa Ohden always knew she was adopted, but she found out as a young teen that there was more to her story than she knew--she was the survivor of a botched saline abortion. I can't even begin to imagine what that would be like. Her story starts at a point where a lot of stories have ended, a baby not meant to survive. Where her story goes from there, though, is hard to imagine. So hard, in fact, that she's been accused of making up her story. Melissa's book--her life, the good and the bad, poured out on paper--is a story of hurt, betrayal, loss, and confusion. At the same time, though, it is a story of of healing, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. The writing isn't neces...

Imagine sitting down to do something knowing that you are expected to fail. Not because it's something that you aren't good at, but simply because it has been designed to be too hard for you to pass. Now imagine doing that a second time...and a third...and each time the task is purposefully made harder. How disheartening would it be to see, over and over and over again, that some nameless and faceless entity (who, by the way, holds enormous sway over your future) sees failing as the best you can do? And then, after you've struggled through this 3 different times, you have to do it again... "only this time," they tell you, "it's for real." Well, kind of for real...the results don't really count for or against you, but they are supposed to be used to predict your future performance. Oh, and those in charge of you are going to be judged on how well you do, but no pressure or anything... Oh yeah--and you're a kid. I'm sure some of ...

"How long must I cry, O Eternal One, and get no answer from you? Even when I yell to You, 'Violence is all around!' You do nothing to save those in distress. Why do You force me to see these atrocities? Why do You make me watch such wickedness? Disaster and violence, conflict and controversy, are raging all around me. Your law is powerless to stop this; injustice prevails. The depraved surround the innocent, and justice is perverted. ETERNAL ONE: 'Look at the nations and watch what happens! You will be shocked and amazed. For in your days, I am doing a work, a work you will never believe even if someone tells you plainly! Look! I am provoking and raising up the bitter and thieving Babylonian warriors from Chaldea; they are moving out across the earth and seizing others' homes and property in their path.'" ~Habakkuk 1:1-6 ISIS is an evil, swarming across the land and destroying everything and everyone in their path. They wi...

Tuesday, my brother would have turned 36. I would have teased him tremendously, poking fun at the fact that he was inching closer and closer to 40 while I was still closer to 30. I would have complained about having to have that gooey red cherry stuff on top of the cheesecake again --but I would have grinned while I ate it. Instead, I was a little too quick with an answer when the kids at school asked for the date. "The 6th" is what I said, but in my head the answer went on with my big brother's birthday. I didn't say it, though. Sometimes I hesitate to say anything about him because I'm not sure how other people will react, but I can usually count on a look of pity, an "I'm sorry," followed by an uncomfortable silence while I smile to show that they don't have to be sad. His birthday is hard. It makes me wonder what he would be like at 36...maybe a couple gray hairs for me to make fun of? A few extra pounds around the waist? Smile...

You hear it all the time: "I'm not going to vote, because one voice won't matter." How about 90 million voices? Because, you see, that's the approximate number of eligible voters who didn't stand up to be counted for the last election. And among those 90 million voices, at least 4 million are evangelical Christians. As believers in and followers of Christ, we know that God is ultimately in control. He knows exactly how this election is going to turn out. The thing is, we shouldn't be using that as a cop-out to excuse not going to the polls tomorrow. You see, God uses His people to carry out His will. If we don't stand up and speak out, we aren't doing our part. Yes, God can use anyone and anything to fulfill His plans. If He wants, He can change people's minds when they start filling out their ballots. But here's the kicker: sometimes, God lets us get our way. Sometimes, God gives us exactly what we're asking for so that we fig...