Poking the Wound: When God Heals What Lies Beneath If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about “poking the wound.” Years ago, because of my autoimmune disease, I developed a wound on my left leg. It was tiny, just the size of a penny, but it would not heal. Because of immunosuppressants, my body stayed dormant, unresponsive to the injury. My husband took me to a wound doctor, and they taught us how to clean and care for it, but it wasn’t enough. My body wasn’t reacting. Then the doctor explained something I’ll never forget: the wound had to be poked. Unless it was stirred, my body would not recognize it as something that needed healing. So day after day, we poked it. At times it looked worse before it looked better, but it was the only way to stimulate the body’s God-designed response to heal. Eventually, it closed completely. That picture has become such a spiritual truth for me. Because as believers, we can live faithfully, attending church, studyin...
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“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:18) Look around. It feels like a horror movie we cannot turn off. The news reads like satire, yet the satire is reality. The lie of “my truth” has taken root in hearts, and the coldness is shocking. Tragedy becomes celebration, sin is worn as pride, and lives without Christ beat empty, hopeless, meaningless. And it is not only out there. In some churches, cold hearts have crept in. Smiles and polite words hide bitterness, envy, and pride. Words reveal the heart. Fruit reveals the tree. "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33). The urgency is real. There is no time for lukewarm hearts, complacent speech, or shallow faith. Every word, every action, every fruit matters. We cannot grow numb o...
Start Here: Letting the Word Dwell Deeply in Real Life This morning I was meditating on Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” There’s so much beauty in that verse. It’s poetic, rich, full of community and worship and grace. And yet, when I read it, part of me also whispered, “Lord, I want this… but some days it feels so far from my reality.” Let’s be honest. We’re living in a time of constant noise and busyness. There’s always something to do, something to respond to. A constant moment of stopping and checking, “Am I forgetting anything?” Even when we want to sit down with the Word, our phones buzz, our minds wander, and our to-do lists scream louder than the pages in front of us. I’m not an anxious person, but I can be impatient. I like things to move, even if it’s slowly, I want to see growth, progress, directi...
This week has been a “catch-up” week for me. Our boy is out of town, and I’ve finally been tackling those theology exams. No more procrastinating. No more telling myself I don’t have time while giving in to every distraction. I’ve had to refocus and press on. I told myself I wouldn’t write this week… but here I am. Just once. Just this. With Father’s Day approaching, I keep watching all those sweet, emotional videos honoring dads. Little kids hugging their fathers. Grown men getting teary remembering theirs. Grandpas with grandbabies in their arms. And of course, all the dad jokes! So corny, yet somehow still funny. They get me every time. And they remind me just how crucial fathers are, not just in the lives of their children, but in their marriages, their homes, and the local church. Scripture makes it clear that fatherhood is a calling from God. "The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed are his children after him!" Proverbs 20:7 "Just as a father has comp...
Pride: The Silent Sin the World Glorifies Hey sisters, Let’s talk about something that’s both personal and pervasive: pride . It’s all around us. Social media preaches “self-love,” culture screams “believe in yourself,” and nearly every commercial, graduation speech, and influencer post pushes the idea that you’re the center of your own universe. But behind all that glitter is a dangerous lie that pride is good. But God’s Word tells us the opposite: “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18; “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6; “For the day belonging to the LORD of Armies is coming against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up, it will be humbled.” Isaiah 2:12 These are not just warnings, they’re spiritual realities. Pride isn’t just a personality flaw. It’s sin. It’s rebellion against God’s rightful place as King. And it’s being celebrated by a...
Joy in Every Season: From Gentle Hills to the Desert Some seasons of life feel like a stroll through a sunlit path, soft hills, gentle breezes, laughter, and answered prayers. Your coffee is hot, the kids are getting along, your church family is kind, and you even had time to sit with your Bible without interruption. These seasons still come with the occasional bump, of course a flat tire or a frustrating day but overall, they’re light. You breathe easier. You smile more. And then there are the desert seasons. Those long stretches where prayers feel like they echo into silence. When you wake up already weary. When the things you used to enjoy feel heavy, and the joy you once had seems like a memory. There’s grief, uncertainty, disappointment, or even just a deep spiritual dryness that lingers longer than you expected. I’ve been talking with a few dear friends this week one facing a devastating diagnosis, another walking through deep, heartbreaking circumstances. I won’t lie some of...
As Mother’s Day approaches, many families are preparing to gather—sharing meals, laughing with loved ones, and honoring the women who’ve shaped their lives. Mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers. What a gift it is to see generations together. Truly, it’s a beautiful blessing from the Lord. But I also know this day can feel more like a wound than a celebration. Maybe you’re grieving a mother you lost—recently or long ago. I lost mine not too long ago. She passed just a week before Mother’s Day, and tomorrow marks two years. I’ll be honest: it still hurts. Some days catch me off guard. Grief doesn’t follow a tidy schedule. Maybe you’re mourning a child you never got to hold, or recovering from a miscarriage in silence. I’ve been there too. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, I truly wondered if I’d ever become a mother. Maybe your relationship with your children is broken, and you don’t know how to fix it. Maybe you’re single and longing for a family. Maybe you’re battling infertility...