What tribe do you belong to? It’s not a question we hear very often today. We’re much more used to being asked about our nationality, or maybe where our family comes from. Some people even spend years digging into their ancestry, trying to trace their roots and understand their story. As I was studying the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 49:28), I found myself wondering the same thing... “Could my heritage be connected to one of them?" But as I kept reading, something else sto

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 We all want what we want. Isn’t that a familiar refrain in today’s vernacular, “I want what I want”? I came head-to-head with this mindset when we put our house on the market in 2024. Once we decided to sell and the sign was in the yard, I wanted it sold! I wanted it sold quickly. I was ready to buy our next house; I wanted to move. Do you see all the “I’s”? My eyes were fixed on m

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” -Acts 26:28 Have you ever shared the gospel with someone and felt your words hit their heart…only to watch them stop just short of surrender? It’s one of the most frustrating realities we face as followers of Christ; you lay out the truth clearly, answer their questions, and show them the love and hope of Jesus For some of you this may be on more than one occasion with the same person. You might even

Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” - Genesis 16:13 I’m currently doing a Bible study on the women of the Bible, and every time I study them, I walk away encouraged as a woman myself. When you step back and look at the story of Scripture, you see the incredible variety of women God used to move His redemptive story forward. Mothers, widows, prophetesses, slaves, prostitutes, an

Lord, you have been my dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:1-2 Lately, a single word has been quietly confronting me… native . When you hear or see the word native, what does it stir in you? Does it evoke an immediate sense of connection - of belonging to a particular place or people? I recently moved back to Colorado after spending a

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. - 1 Corinthians 15:49 In church today, I sat behind a family of three — a father, mother, and grown son. I was struck by how similar the father and son were in both stature and demeanor. The familial resemblance was unmistakable. Watching them offered a visual reminder of a deeper truth: we are created in the image of our Father. As Genesis 1:26 declares, “Let us make man i

I was on my way to Ohio for my brother’s funeral when I got the text: Flight delayed. The delay meant I would likely miss the first night of gathering for his viewing. My heart sank. Grief already has a way of making you feel disoriented, and in that moment I felt helpless too. I whispered a simple prayer: Lord, get me there when I’m supposed to be there. When I explained my situation to the gate agents, along with shedding a few tears, they didn’t treat me like a number. The

I have been trying to make it a practice to go through the Bible every year and as I started going through Genesis and Exodus, I asked the Lord to bring to light the things I have missed in the past and honestly, I am sure my world is going to be overflowing with new things to dive into. For example, did you know that in Exodus 4:24-25 the Lord was going to kill Moses? I had to stop and reread it. Moses... the Moses. A central figure in Scripture. Yes, all humans fail, but

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. - James 3:9-12 This year my husband and I are approaching the New Year with greater f

Recently, I was conducting a spiritual inventory, asking myself how far I am truly willing to extend myself for a friend. I know from experience that I would turn the world upside down for my family, and yet, am I not called to exemplify that same degree of sacrifice for my friends in Christ? In Mark 2:1–12, we learn about four friends who carried their paralyzed friend on his mat to where Jesus was teaching because they believed Jesus could heal him. I envision each friend t

In May of 2025, I had the incredible privilege of traveling to Greece and Ephesus, Turkey, to walk through the ancient ruins where Paul and the early believers shared the gospel. I was part of a group of sixteen women, and naturally, we were paired up to share rooms. Our journey began in Athens, but my roommate had not yet arrived. She was fitting this trip in between other commitments abroad, teaching in churches across different countries, and had been delayed. When she fin

Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called ‘today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. - Hebrews 3:12-13 NASB I recently watched a video clip of a young Christian woman who openly chose to walk away from her faith after encountering a New Testament verse that revealed an attribute of G

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. - John 1:1-5 Reflecting on God’s Enduring Love As a new year begins, we might pause and reflect on where we have been, what we carry forward, and where ou

As one year closes and another begins, we are naturally drawn to reflection, looking back on what has shaped us and forward to what lies ahead. The turning of the year invites us to consider not only where we are going, but how faithfully we are walking with the Lord along the way. For me, this time of reflection is anchored in a very tangible picture: marriage - a covenant that, in its beauty and weight, reflects our own binding relationship with God. A Year Marked by Covena

As this year draws to a close, many of us arrive weary. It has been a bumpy, unsettling, and at times deeply disorienting year, one marked by shaking, division, and uncertainty both in the world and within the Church. And yet, as believers, we are not left without direction or hope (Hallelujah!). Scripture calls us to a higher vantage point. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind

I am the good shepherd; The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. - John 10:11 NLT What would it look like to let God’s love move through you in such a way, calling you beyond your own comfort, to truly see and care for others the way Jesus would? We are all familiar with the greatest example of love: that our Heavenly Father loved us so deeply He allowed His only begotten Son to be born and then die on the cross for us. When we pause to consider this, the reality

There is a lot to get excited about during the Christmas season - decorations, lights, gift giving, getting together with family and friends, to name just a few. One of my favorite parts about this time of the year is singing Christmas hymns and one of my very favorite hymns is Joy to the World . Its author, Isaac Watts, originally wrote it as a poem based on Psalm 98 to exalt Jesus Christ as king of his people and the entire world. Interestingly, it is about the second comin

Is it really possible to have peace…actual peace…in a world that feels anything but peaceful?  I’ll never forget being in Israel when war broke out in 2023, when suddenly, the verse we’ve all quoted so many times,  “and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”  - became vividly real for my husband and me. We’ve spoken that promise over our lives, over circumstances, and over countless moments of uncertainty, but fo

It’s hard to believe we are already kicking off December 2025. I don’t know about you, but this year has flown by - and what a year it has been! As we approach Christmas and reflect on the Advent of our Lord, this seems like an opportune time to examine our faith. This week, a wonderful book to guide us in this reflection is the book of Malachi. Yes, Malachi — a book of Hope. It bridges the Old Testament to the New, foretelling the coming Messiah and anticipating John the Bap

The more I walk with Jesus, the more I see how patient and personal His guidance really is. As I grow in my relationship with our Lord and Savior, I’m learning how gently He corrects me when I misunderstand or misspeak because of my own perspective. I know there is still so much to learn, and I expect that growth will continue until my final breath. One of those moments came recently when I became fascinated with the idea and the imagery of the “courts of heaven.” In thinking