A few months ago, I had an unexpected day off of work, so I decided to get cozy on my sofa. I grabbed a soft throw blanket and could not wait to find a good movie to watch on TV! As I flipped through all the possible flicks, one caught my eye. I had avoided this particular movie previously because of the cover image of a lonely woman who just looked cold and isolated. It screamed “Debbie Downer.” Perhaps against my better judgment, I decided to...

Have you ever noticed that waiting on God often requires more than just “a” minute? Sometimes, waiting on God feels like an eternity! The ache. The confusion. The questions: “How old are you?” and “You’re still single? Why?” I’ve had people answer the “why” question for me by telling me things like: “Oh, you need to stop looking, and then God will bring the guy along.” Or, “You are just too picky!” Or my absolute favorite: “God must want to...

One of the most understated weapons of warfare is the wisdom to know if and when to fight…

Growing up, I was a legalistic, private school girl. I had my prayer check list and felt very guilty if I did not have that hour long quiet time daily with the Lord. I would feel sinful anytime I threw up a quick prayer before a test or as I was rushing somewhere, thinking that the Lord was probably angry at my flippant use of prayer. The more I get to know God, I have a different perspective. Now, I see that we are actually called to “pray...

When I worked as a camp counselor one summer, I had a girl in my cabin who was horrifically slow at everything. She was a precious fifth grade girl who just took her time getting things done. We were supposed to be at the flag pole at 7:30 in the morning, but you cannot wake your girls up before 7:00 am. I had half an hour to get seven girls ready, the cabin cleaned and walk to the flag pole. Well, with “Miss Take Her Time,” we were a few...

My sweet three-year-old daughter gladly accepted her role as flower girl in a wedding recently. On the day of the wedding she put on her little ivory dress and twirled with glee. She could not stop twirling and spreading her gown like the feathers of a peacock. After scattering flowers from her basket down the aisle, she became quite aware of all the “oohs and ahhs” she was receiving. She was beginning to believe how exceptionally beautiful she...

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). When most people think of evil and its presence, they think of The Exorcist, or some horrible, frightening figure. They expect evil to come in some painfully obvious way. However, we should never forget that the enemy often uses craftiness (Gen 3:1) and even perversions of God’s own Word (Gen 3:1-4; Matt...

My childhood goal was to be a “good girl,” taking perfectionism to a whole new level. I belonged to every club, was an honor student, and felt incredibly guilty if I did not have an hour of quiet time with God every evening—praying and reading my Bible. I knew the Truth that God would not love me less for any sin I committed. This was not hard for me to grasp since I thought I had not committed any sin too hellacious at this point. However, I...

For the first two weeks of her new job, Kim Till, the Chief Advancement Officer for Dallas Seminary, would not sit at her desk. She’d work rigorously at the table next to her desk, while glancing over at her desk chair from time to time. She considered the full weight of raising millions of dollars annually—a heavy burden for any person to carry, not to mention the first woman to ever be entrusted with such a responsibility. After two weeks of...

I love the JumboTron—but not for the reasons you might think. I don’t love it because its massive screen allows us folks in the cheap seats a decent view of the game. No, I love the JumboTron because of the power it has to make people do the silliest things.  I’ve seen middle-aged men in sensible sweaters leap to their feet and shimmy like Britney Spears. I’ve been showered in pink punch by a small child who had flailed himself into a frenzy,...