-
The Juggling Act
Dealing with Stress and Anxiety Biblically Do you ever feel like you’re juggling parts of your life or yourself and you’re not always catching the balls before they hit the floor? If you answered yes (or oh ya!), you’re not alone. Most people struggle with balancing all of the aspects of their lives at some point. Although most people immediately think of adults and something called “work-life balance”, they’re not the only ones staring in the juggling act. According to Psychologically Today, 25% of teens (13 to 18) experience mild to moderate feelings of anxiety and approximately 5.9% will experience severe anxiety in their life. The crazy thing is, the…
-
Exodus: Escape Confusion
In the last scripture study, we studied the fight between the Israelites (okay God) and the Pharaoh. We left off with the Pharaoh agreeing to allow the Israelites their “three-day” journey to worship God. I use “quotations” because… well, you’ll find out. If you missed the last study, check it out here. Spoiler Alert! At the end of Chapter 13 in the book of Exodus, we get a bit of a spoiler. In fact, in the version of the Bible that I read (among others), the title of this section of the scripture is titled “Israel’s Wilderness Detour”. You might be thinking… wait, didn’t we start with a detour? Yup!…
-
Exodus: The Fight
Last week we began our journey through the book of Exodus. We left off with last week with Moses leaving Midian to return to Egypt. If you missed that post, check it out here. Let My People Go Upon returning to Egypt, Moses and his brother Aaron meet with the Israelite leaders and tell them about what God has said. After showing some miraculous signs, the leaders believe that Moses and Aaron are actually telling them the truth. Okay, the Bible does not say that, but it’s implied. Go read it for yourself at the end of chapter 4, starting in verse 29. Moses and Aaron then meet with the…
-
Exodus: The Detour
I have been studying the story of the Israelites exodus from Egypt and their journey to the promised land for the past few months. God keeps bringing me back to this incredible story. It has action, adventure, murder, and intrigue. Sounds like a great movie, right? This gripping story is our next scripture study. As I study God’s word, I want to share it with you and I want you to share your insights with me! Comment below or send me a message. The Israelites Get Played (Chapter One) I’ll start with a little background. The Israelites didn’t start in Egypt. They were brought there during the time of great…
-
I Just Don’t Have Enough Faith
My husband used to say “I just don’t have enough faith” when something hard would arise. Moreover, he’d say that I had more faith than him. He said that he just didn’t have enough faith when he didn’t see how something could work out. I used to get upset at this. I just didn’t understand why it was so hard for him to have faith and so easy for me. I guess it was because I kind of always thought that faith was something you could just work on. You had to “build” it like a muscle. It was something that came from within you and you just had to…
-
Loser… or Simply Nothing to Lose?
Being a loser is typically seen as a negative thing, but maybe it shouldn’t. See, losers can have an advantage over winners. What is that you may ask? Simply nothing to lose. Think about it, losers have already lost. Whether it’s a job, a relationship, a grade, a game… you can’t lose something you’ve already lost. And that gives you power. This week we’re looking at a couple “losers” from the bible and how God used them to change their world. Gideon a Loser or a Might Warrior? Gideon had that power. He was a loser. Gideon was the smallest of the weakest tribe of Israel. He lived in the…
-
Peter, or Is it Simon?
Have you ever felt like you are a living contradiction? Have you ever wondered if anyone could really get you, because sometimes, you don’t even get yourself? Let me tell you some goods news… you’re not alone my friend. I think we all feel like this at some point in our lives. We have days went we’re outgoing and open and days when we’re shy and reserved. We have days when we’re happy and full of life and days where we don’t want to get out of bed. We have days when we’re excited about what God has for us and days we wish we could just fade into the…
-
John the Baptist: What They Didn’t Tell You
There once was this girl. She didn’t wear Under Armour or Nike’s. In fact, most of her clothes were from the thrift store. She followed the rules and did her homework. She didn’t ditch class or pass notes. To be honest, she was a little shy, a little weird, and a little bit of an outcast. Most kids in her class didn’t want to sit with her at lunch or hang out at her house on the weekends. It wasn’t that they didn’t notice her. They noticed her enough to make fun of her in the halls. They just didn’t think she fit in. That awkward, shy, and a little…
-
You Are Not an Afterthought
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 NLT Do you remember dodge ball? If not, let me remind you. It’s the game where you and your team pummel the other team with a rubber ball to get them “out”. The last team standing wins. This game is barbaric to say the least. But the actual game has nothing on the process of choosing the team itself. If you don’t know what I mean, you must have been chosen first or second in the dodge ball draft. I, on the other hand, was…
-
Take Up Your Mat
Take Up Your Mat The man in John 5:1-9 sat on his mat for 38 years. He did the same every day. He sat waiting, watching and hoped, but nothing happened. This was just his way of life. He was stagnant and unable to see what was already in him. He was convinced that real life is only over there in that pool. That life had to come from somewhere else, anywhere else. The pool of Beth-zatha was known for healing powers. An angel would come down from Heaven and stir the waters. It was said that whomever was first to the waters would be healed. So the man waited.…