We all woke up to the same horrific headlines, ‘Israel at War After Hamas Attacks.’ We watched families taken hostage by terrorists, saw pictures of cities devastated by shrapnel, and learned that the number of civilians brutally murdered or injured was growing. This news brought tears to my eyes and made my stomach turn. How can people … Read more
When I was a kid, our church services sometimes began with the popular worship song, “Come, Now is the Time to Worship,” followed by a reading of Psalm 100:4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” Growing up in church, it didn’t take long for me to learn that Christians … Read more
*This article was originally published on Well Watered Woman. I laid awake at night, doubt floating around my mind. I had recently learned that several Christian leaders I respected had sinned. It was shocking to me, and left me questioning my own areas of influence. Because people who appeared so strong in the faith … Read more
Have you ever been on a Zoom or FaceTime call and found yourself spending most of the conversation staring at the little square with your face? Unfortunately, my quiet time has looked similar to that video call many days. I’m spending time with Jesus but I’m more preoccupied with myself than with Him. I read … Read more
I begged. I pleaded. I begged some more . . . And yet, every time I cried out to God about this situation that I desperately wanted Him to change, He seemed to say again, “No. Not yet.” Disappointed, I prayed, “Okay, but what am I supposed to do now?” In my heart, I knew … Read more
We are created to praise God together and often. Many of us would love to gather with fellow believers to praise God more than just once a week on Sunday. But it can feel challenging to incorporate praise with others into our regular schedules. There are many reasons for this. Our days are already full, … Read more
I’ve had days when the enemy whispers words of doubt, discouragement, and frustration in my ear over and over again. He loves to leverage all the difficulties in my life to make them look and feel hopeless, unfair, and overwhelming. With each overwhelming and frustrating feeling, I’m tempted to utter the grumbling that wells up … Read more
As a kid, my favorite part of church services was what we called “worship”—singing hymns and choruses with the body of Christ. So, when I was in high school, I eagerly accepted an invitation to join our church’s worship team. Up until that point, I always thought of worship as synonymous with singing. After all, … Read more
Gnarled roots and jagged rock crisscross the mountain trail. I fix my eyes on the path to keep from stumbling. I hike on like this for the next thirty minutes, until my friend interrupts our conversation to say, “remember to look up once in awhile.” At their prompting, I lift my eyes from the rocky … Read more
With everything on our planet changing within a week, I’ve been listening to and playing a lot of music. Songs have become my prayers of worship to the Lord. They are promises that I cling to. They lift my eyes above the waves, calm my fearful heart, and help me trust. I’m a worship … Read more