conversations between sisters in Christ
There are many questions we must ask ourselves when making a purchase: Can I afford this? Do I really need/want it? Is it of good quality? There is one question, however, that many of us forget to ask ourselves: Would this purchase be a fair-trade? “Fair Trade” is probably a term you’ve heard a few [...]
It happened sometime between daring being a dream and daring coming true…
I went to Costa Rica last summer. It was my first mission trip, my first international mission trip, my first flight, and my first international flight.
My move to the little house with the apple tree and lilac bushes was marked in my mind for a reason far deeper than a change of residence. It was the summer the doctor looked at me sadly and said that children would never be mine. It was the summer my mother-heart broke and bled and [...]
Raising awareness for sex trafficking is hot on the Christian agenda right now. During the month of January (National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month), well-known pastors and teachers used their influence and platforms to shine light on a subject that has remained dark for too long. But awareness is where it starts, not ends. [...]
One of my favourite things at this time of year is the switching on of the Christmas lights. We all gather in my little village as a community, on a cold winter’s night, enshrouded by darkness, and wait still and patiently. Then, suddenly, there is a sparkle and a shimmer. The darkness is gone, and the streets are warmed with twinkling, gleaming lights.
I use the word mercy many times over, and he asks what mercy looks like. It’s a harder question than I anticipate. Formless virtue is simple; to give it life and ligaments is more difficult.
The call comes. I’m standing in the barn and my muscles lose their strength. My heart, this mother-heart that beats within me, wants to find him and cuddle him close and whisper words of comfort. He’s the boy that made motherhood real for this child-less me. I had claimed children through the years, but this [...]
One of my favorite things about this time of year is the opportunity to practice hospitality. There’s something about colder weather that makes us want to gather inside and enjoy food and fellowship, and of course the holidays are a great excuse for parties. I’ve only been married for two years, so I’m still new [...]
Am I so busy, trying too hard to do everything, that I don’t leave any space for God to do something? “The story of redemption and healing is that Jesus came to exchange my not-good-enough with His better-than-I-could-ever-imagine. He came to trade my life for His, my weak for His strong, my ashes for His [...]
I think I want to redefine my approach to gift shopping this year and in the years to come. I want to get farther away from the buying and giving just because everyone buys and gives. I want to buy less useless clutter — things that will never be used — and spend our money [...]
