If You Could Meet 3 People in Heaven

Have you ever heard someone say something along the lines of “Jesus return quickly”? Yeah, well I have and I don’t happen to agree with the sentiment. I mean, I love Jesus, but His return will mark some pretty awful events, as well.

I am not longing for heaven either. I know perhaps I should be. My mind does not often drift to heavenly things so much as temporal things. I don’t have much of an “eternal perspective” (another nice Christian-ism to add to my list).

What I am excited for, however, is getting to meet people in heaven. I cannot wait to see who’s there (although it saddens me to think of who won’t be there, as well) Here are the 3 people I am most excited to meet in heaven (besides Jesus). Then, it’s your turn… Continue reading If You Could Meet 3 People in Heaven

My Divided Family

My family is a little crazy…and not in that funny-sorta-adorable-eccentric-way (okay, maybe we are a little bit of that) We are also what is known as “dysfunctional,” in every loving sense of the word.

If you were to ask them, however, I doubt they would say the same. They would probably peg me as the crazy one because I am the “Christian.” Guilty as charged.

I am the one they see as hateful, self-centered, self-righteous, and holier-than-thou. Over the last year and a half, I have experienced some of the darkest days within my own family. It has read like a novel, complete with lies, deceit and betrayal.

What continues to surprise me, however, is that people often call Christians “judgmental” and “hypocritical” when in fact, they are actually the ones displaying such behavior. Continue reading My Divided Family

This One Goes Out to All the Moms…{Happy Mother’s Day}

This one goes out to all the mommies out there…

To every mom who has sacrificed her body to stretch marks, baby weight, and labor pains.

To every mom who has woken up for middle-of-the-night feedings and woken up just to make sure that little baby is still breathing.

To every mom who has watched helplessly as her child learns to do something new for the first time…wanting to step in, but allowing their “baby” to learn for themselves.

To every mom… Continue reading This One Goes Out to All the Moms…{Happy Mother’s Day}

Theological Ninja or Sucker?

Today’s post is my contribution to the Rally to Restore Unity hosted by Rachel Held Evans. Our goal is to end “flippant dismissals” and raise money for Charity Water while we are at it.

When I first met Tim, I was 23 and searching for a new church–a place I could call home. Tim came off a bit weird to me at first. To call him unconventional would be an understatement.

He was loud, gregarious, politically incorrect, and even mildly inappropriate (according to Christian standards). He even offended me a few times.

“This guy is the youth and college pastor,” I wondered? Really? Uh, okay…

It wouldn’t be long before my judgmental eye-rolls and deep sighs would be challenged. It wasn’t long before God gave me the proverbial Holy Spirit smack down. Continue reading Theological Ninja or Sucker?

Is it Really a Man's World?

Is it Really a Man's World?

I have written a few times on He Said/She Said Wednesdays about my desire for women to act more like men in some regards. In the way women treat friendships, for instance, they could learn a few things from men. On the other hand, I have also expressed my belief that in order for women to feel truly fulfilled, they must embrace their God-given role as women.

There are benefits to being a man. There are benefits to being a woman. One sex is suppose to be gentle, submissive, and maternal. One sex is suppose to be tough, assertive, and somewhat stoic.

I, for one, would never give up being a woman. I like all the perks and there are many. But is it fair to say that one sex has it easier than another? Many people, including many women, would argue that it is a male-dominated world. Men ruled then and they rule now.

Despite all the advancement of the feminist movement and women’s liberation, I wonder : Is it really a man’s world? Continue reading Is it Really a Man's World?

What are Your Labels?

I don’t like labels. They turn me off. “Emergent” this. “Reformed” that. Baptist, Catholic, Charismatic, Calvinist, Arminianist, Non-denominational (a non-label-label).

There was a time, however, when labels felt right–when labels were one way of sorting out the world. High school. Everyone wears a label in high school, whether  self-assigned or not. Carlos Whitaker wrote a post a week or so asking about high school labels. We all had one…

…Stoners, wannabes, slackers, jocks, skaters, punks, preppies, geeks, goths, loners…

My high school labels were both deserved and unwarranted. I teetered between the in-crowd and the outcasts. I had friends and foes on both sides. I was popular on a Monday and rumored to be a whore by Thursday. Continue reading What are Your Labels?

The Disappearance of Satan

When I was a child, I was given a Bible filled with the most detailed and elaborate illustrations.

The one that most fascinated me was the drawing of Lucifer. His darkened wings spanning wide to display his might and power. He was beautiful, captivating really. Other angels cowered before him in the picture, yet the background showed darkness drawing near.

The illustration had such a mesmerizing and yet ominous feeling and even then, at the age of perhaps 6, I knew he was real. I had no doubt, some 10 years before accepting Jesus, that this Satan fellow was a real person. So why can a 6 year old believe and yet many in the church refuse to acknowledge Satan’s existence and power? Continue reading The Disappearance of Satan

Favorite (Tolan) Things

My son, Tolan, is fast approaching his third birthday. In the last few months, it seems that he has had a huge growth spurt, complete with added inches to his height and words to his vocabulary.

Every other day he is doing or saying something brand new. Yet, as the birth of this next baby grows closer (and I grow larger), the reality that Tolan will no longer be “the baby” sets in.

My son is a boy. All boy. He is the opposite of his sister. He is a little man who does little man things in a little man body. He is entertaining, to say the least. Here are some of the funny things he says and awesomely boy things he does… Continue reading Favorite (Tolan) Things

The Mediocre Evangelist

The Mediocre Evangelist

This post is from the archives and is one of my favorites.

Evangelism is one of those Christian words we throw around so easily and casually. I personally don’t like the word. “Go evangelize!” It kinda freaks me out. I envision myself standing on a street corner wearing a sandwich board while holding a megaphone shouting, “Sinner!” at the top of my lungs. Not a pretty picture. Not a loving picture. Not a picture I’d ever like to see.

But somewhere between street corner evangelism and Christ’s command to go out and make disciples, we have lost the true meaning of evangelism. We have replaced what should be sharing the Good News with a somewhat sad and pathetic alternative. Instead of actually sharing the Gospel, we do something else and hope that it is enough.

What is it we do instead of actually evangelizing?

Continue reading The Mediocre Evangelist

In Defense of Housewives

I have always disliked the term “housewife.” Blame it on my background, but it has always sounded a bit like a plantation term. Or it sounds like a woman who is “kept,” bought and paid for, with nothing to do but stay home and stuff her face full of delicacies.

I prefer “homemaker.” I do, in many ways, make my home. However, I’m not solely responsible for my house being a home, either.

I still have not gotten used to telling strangers and people I am meeting for the first time what it is I do when they ask. Sure, if I’m meeting another Christian, I know it is usually safe to say “I stay home with my kids.” But other people raise an eyebrow, scan me up and down, and then say, “Oh…” as if they are disappointed in my career choice.

That’s why I’ve decided to come to the defense of housewives and homemakers everywhere…someone has to, why not me? Continue reading In Defense of Housewives