How to Renovate Your Kitchen on a Budget
“If I have to live in a house I don’t like because it makes me more like Christ, I’m ok with that.” An older, much wiser friend of mine told me this after her dream house suffered a fire that rendered the home uninhabitable. The words stuck with me and are something I have pondered over the last several months.
In our culture, more is better, and we are constantly buying things we don’t need to impress people we may or may not like. It’s exhausting, isn’t it?
When we first moved into our home, we were grateful to have found a place to live in the craziness of the housing market in 2021. I gave thanks for our incredible backyard and our sweet cul-de-sac. But over time, I began to loathe our kitchen. Much to my disgust, the previous owners painted wood cabinets brown, which I will never understand.
Read More
Forever Intertwined: Generations Together Through Birth and Death
2021 was a gut-wrenching year for our family, but it didn’t start that way. On a late January evening, my husband and I went on a much-needed date, talking over tacos and margaritas. I remember thinking that my period was late, and when we got home from our date, I took a pregnancy test “just to check.” We had been trying for our second baby, and I wanted so badly to be pregnant.
I took the test, and to my utter delight, it was positive. My husband was incredulous, as it had taken nearly two years to conceive my son. We were completely thrilled and grateful that it only took a few months for this little girl to make her home in my womb. We called our daughter, who was 17 at the time, into the room, and she was overjoyed—she had been praying for a little sister.
Read More
Finding Joy in the Word
I live in Georgia, where the summer heat is real and the humidity is plentiful. On any given day, I can find myself grinning with gratitude at the sunny skies or cursing them with frustration when the heat just won’t relent. We have all been home much more than normal, and our routines are just different (or nonexistent). It’s easy to make time for the Word when the circumstances of life are simple. But when things are complicated and there are seemingly one too many curveballs thrown at you, the discipline of opening God’s Word can seem like just one more thing to do instead of a delight.
At its best, summer can bring with it a carefree sense of wonder. At its worst, it can feel long and unorganized. After a week of brutal July heat, I was relieved to see that the weather forecast held rain—and lots of it. Rain refreshes and replenishes what has been dried up by drought. Our time in the Word can feel stale when we approach it with a sense of duty or obligation. But when we see the Word for what it truly is—the God-breathed and inspired message of hope and deliverance for our souls—we are changed and refreshed.
Read More
Breaking Down Walls
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matt. 5:13).
One of my favorite snacks is chips and guacamole. Sometimes in the afternoon, I slice an avocado, mash it with a fork (but not too much, because I like my guac chunky!), add a bit of lime and cilantro, and eat to my heart’s content. After living in Mexico for two years, I am a little snobby about my guacamole. One of the biggest things that can make or break guacamole is the salt content. If there isn’t enough salt, the flavors don’t reach their full potential, and you’re left with a bland, mushy dip, which isn’t appetizing to anyone.
Read More
God's Heart for the Orphan
Last year, my husband and I felt a tug on our hearts from God. This tug was a call to become foster parents. You see, we had been “trying” for several months to start our family and weren’t having any success. Foster care had been on our hearts, but it was always something that loomed in the distance. We would become foster parents after we had “our own” kids. We would become foster parents once our lives calmed down. But all of a sudden, God said to stop waiting and start moving.
Read More
Cheers to 35
Earlier this month, I celebrated my 35th birthday. It is hard to believe that I am in my mid-thirties, with forty creeping closer than ever before. But here we are. If there is anything I have learned in my thirties, it is that life is hard, but God is good. Cliche as it may sound, God’s goodness has been a golden thread woven into every part of my story. I’m guessing you may be able to say the same, if you look closely enough.
Read More
Discipline in an Age of Distraction
At any given moment, you may find me listening to a podcast, working on my laptop, and eating a snack. Or I might be taking a walk with my son in the stroller, talking on the phone, and scrolling Instagram—all at the same time. How often do we pride ourselves on being able to do more than one thing at a time? And how often are those multiple things and distractions that we are doing actually done well? Lately, the Lord has been convicting me of how important it is to truly give him my best and to focus on what is right in front of me.
Read More
New Year, New You?: When Resolutions Falter
It’s mid-January, and you may have already “failed” at your resolutions.
Goals and resolutions can bring up conflicting emotions in each of us. We may struggle with fear of failure, or the belief that we are capable of anything. With either perspective, our desires and motives are in need of the illuminating light of Christ’s truth.
We see our peers posting about the races they’re going to run, the trips they’re going to take, or the money they’re going to earn, and we already feel behind. Setting goals and making resolutions can often bring anxiety instead of freedom—especially when we fall short. We often tie our sense of worth to our accomplishments, hoping each year will bring us “bigger and better” things.
But God doesn’t ask us to do things “bigger and better” as the world defines it. He doesn’t ask us to meticulously analyze the past and dwell on what we didn’t do right. He instead gently leads us and asks us to listen to His still small voice speaking through His Word. He asks that we remember His faithfulness, and He calls us to obey and remember that He is with us every step of the way.
Read More
Savor the I AM
Christmas is only a few days away, with its celebration of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born in a manger. We rejoice as we remember who he is and all that he has done for us. The first chapter of John tells us of a Savior who came in the flesh as the Word of God. The rest of the book continues to tell the story of this Savior who embodied his Heavenly Father.
Jesus makes several “I am” statements in the Gospel of John that can bring us great hope and comfort. The declaration “I am” echoes God’s response to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus: “‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).
I AM is a powerful statement declaring who God is, and the seven “I am” statements of Christ recorded in John’s Gospel reveal particular truths that should capture our attention. When we fix our eyes on who God the Son is and what he has done, our disappointments lose their hold over us, and our joys are made greater as we thank him for his unfailing goodness.
Read More
Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus This Christmas
I love Christmas. I always have. I love the music, the lights, the jolly attitudes—everything seems happy and fun. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to notice that my love for Christmas has morphed into a desire for the “picture perfect” Christmas. I can’t stand the thought of anything untoward during this season that is supposed to be full of love and good cheer.
When I think about how I’ve been disappointed in years past by Christmas dreams that didn’t come true, I realize how I have completely missed the point of Christmas. As cliché as it sounds, Jesus is the reason for the season. The purpose of Advent is to remember our need for Jesus and return to our expectation of His coming. The beauty of Christmas is found when we celebrate His humble beginnings and praise Him for His sacrificial gift to us.
Read More
Choices
Two core human emotions are love and fear. Fear can drive us to do things we thought we would never do. We can be so afraid of what other people think that we succumb to temptations that we thought would never be an issue for us. We can be so afraid of rejection that we do not share the truth of the gospel with an unbelieving friend. We can be so afraid of change that we do not step out of our comfort zone to obey what God is asking us to do. These fears never compel us to walk in obedience.
Read More
In God's Word in Seasons of Transition
“I wish we hadn’t had to move.” I whispered these words to my husband through tears one night as we laid in bed. It feels like the only constant in my life is change. Just when I get used to something, it’s no longer predictable. Last year, my family walked through birth, death, job loss, illness, fractured relationships, and a move, all while parenting a toddler and navigating the world of foster care.
Read More
A Limited Mom Serving a Limitless God
As mothers, we are not our children’s savior. We are limited. There is no way that we could meet their every need, and yet we desire to take the place of our sinless Savior so that we can be the heroines of their stories. However, it is never our role to be the heroine, but rather to point them to the hero—their limitless Heavenly Father who is able to provide abundantly more than all that we ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20–21).
Read More
Fear of the Uncomfortable
Our American dreams are full of more—more money, more vacations, more material goods, more social gatherings, and more fun. We are averse to hardship and conditioned for comfort. I’ll never forget striking up a conversation with a ride-share driver from Africa several years ago and learning more about his life. He said, “Americans don’t like to be uncomfortable. They don't like to do hard things.” Ouch. His words were concise and correct. How often do we choose the easy way out in order to preserve our comfort and peace?
Read More
Fighting Anxiety in the Dark
I remember attending youth camp years ago, so excited to get away from the suburbs and be in nature. Each night after our large group sessions, we would walk back to the cabin. The night sky was an inky black, so dark that it was hard to see your hand in front of you. My friends and I huddled close together, walking slowly by the path of the flashlight.
This summer has been like a season full of those dark nights. It feels like we are wandering around in the dark as our family has walked through trial after trial. It is exhausting. Each night, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow due to the physical and mental exhaustion of a long day. But when I inevitably awake in the middle of the night, I find that my heart is heavy with fear and anxiety as unbidden thoughts race through my mind.
Read More
Behind Closed Doors: Bitterness
One lie I believed for a long time was that I am a victim. I had unknowingly allowed several situations to pound that lie into my heart, and the enemy deceived me into thinking that I had no choice as to how these situations affected my thinking and my actions.
When I walked in unbelief, it was easy for me to be bitter toward people who had hurt me in the past. I felt justified in this bitterness, thinking that if I walked in forgiveness, it would excuse their actions toward me. It was also difficult for me to accept responsibility for how my actions played a part in these difficult situations.
If we are in Christ, we have been given everything we need to live a life that glorifies and honors Him. While it feels easier to stay in our pity party, a life marked by bitterness is one devoid of joy. We cannot walk in freedom with Christ when we stay chained to feelings that enable an entitled and bitter spirit. When we are in Christ, we are new creations. As new creations, we can walk with Him in a spirit of grace and kindness.
Read More
Caring for the Vulnerable
“We will become foster parents once we have ‘our own’ kids.
That’s what my husband and I thought for a while.… However, when we became aware of the plight that is the foster care system, we both knew that the Lord was leading us down this path instead. Our church hosts a conference each year that is educational and free to prospective and current foster and adoptive parents. One year, we decided to attend in order to learn and see if God would help us understand what our next steps should be.…
And so it began. Fast forward about six months, and we began taking classes to become certified foster parents. Fast forward six more months, and we were finally approved by the state. Two weeks later, our lives were changed forever when we said yes to a sibling group of three children, ages 10, 8, and 7.…
Many people have said to my husband and me, ‘I could never do what you do. I could never love a child and then have to give them back.’ Here’s the truth: not everyone is called to this life. Not everyone is called to welcome children from hard places into their homes. However, we can all do something.”
Read More
The Fruit of Faithfulness
Why is faithfulness so hard to find? I believe it is because we are bombarded by lies that tell us that life is all about us. In a culture driven by selfies, likes, and followers, we are constantly told that we need to look out for ourselves and no one else. And when our actions are driven by selfishness, how can we be faithful?
Our Heavenly Father shows us the greatest love of all through His faithfulness. When I think about faithfulness, I remember a God who has not ever left or forsaken me. I think about how when I was still a sinner, He sent His Son to die for me so that I would not know His wrath but instead His unfailing love (Romans 5:8). The call to faithfulness goes hand in hand with the call to obedience. A life marked by faithfulness and obedience is set apart from the lives of those around us who do not walk with Jesus.
Read More
Lingering Loneliness
Last summer, as we watched riots and social media backlash, my phone was abuzz with people saying, “I’m sorry,” and “What can I do?” As an African American woman, I feel a sense of pressure and expectation (perhaps self-imposed) to share about my experience in order for others to learn from me. It seems many are looking to me for pearls of wisdom and insight that (supposedly) only I can share. But I have nothing to say that has not been said before. After all, there is nothing new under the sun.
When people look at me, they may see my skin color and make various assumptions about my life experiences. But my greatest desire is not that people understand me as an African American woman. My ethnicity is only part of who I am. My deepest hope is that when people look at me, they see the presence of Jesus. A hope that is undeterred and unshakable. A love that is unconditional and unwavering. A faith that is deeply rooted.
The loneliness I feel at this juncture is not unlike the other lonely times I have walked through. For just as I have in the past, I bring this loneliness to my Father, who binds my wounds and heals my hurts. I need not explain myself to him because he knows my every thought. And he is worth the loneliness because his presence is a balm to my weary soul.
So in the midst of a world that has chosen sides and has made a practice of isolating (read: canceling) those who don’t fall in line, I welcome the loneliness if it brings a closer intimacy with the One who made me, for I know that I am never alone and always held in his loving arms.
Read More
Listening with Discernment: Handling with Care the Content We Consume
“Because I was so desperate for relief from the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain I was experiencing, I latched on to a number of teachings that were not biblically sound. It started off small enough: I began following some new accounts on Instagram. Then I began to follow accounts they recommended, and so on. There were so many ‘new ideas’ I was learning, and I thought I was being enlightened. I entered into a world of unbiblical teaching that, unbeknownst to me at the time, is rooted in the prosperity gospel and New Age philosophies.
Praise God for his unfailing love and compassion to those who love and fear him (Romans 7:25). I now know that I was filtering my theology through my experiences instead of filtering my experiences through my theology. The Holy Spirit showed me that my feelings and experiences will change with each passing day. But the Word of the Lord stands forever, and the character of God is unchanging through the ages (Isaiah 40:8; Hebrews 13:8).
The God of the Bible is just, wise, kind, compassionate, and faithful. And as the vine dresser in the garden prunes back the branch to bear more fruit, so the Lord prunes us in order that we may truly know him and bring glory to his name as we fulfill the Great Commission (John 15:1–2). This pruning often involves suffering, and it is not a punishment, but rather a demonstration of his great love. How grateful I am to now know the true love of my Heavenly Father, who never changes.”
Read More
