Godly Insights for the 21st Century Life

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." ~ Matthew 5:16      One of my pet peeves is people driving crazy on the highway. Their bad decisions could potentially put me in danger and prevent me from getting where I need to go. Most of the time, I don't know who they are and probably never will know. There have been times, however, where I may not know who the person is, but I know where they work because it's advertised on the side of their vehicle. Seeing the name of a business on the side or back of a vehicle driving dangerously or acting rudely towards other drivers makes me less likely to want to become a customer.       Recently this got me thinking about how I would act if I advertised that I am a Christian. Now, most of my friends and family already know I am a Christian, and most of them are as well. I do sometimes interact with those who aren't Christians, and during

Oh what I would do to have The kind of faith it takes To get out of this boat and Onto the crashing waves To step out of my comfort zone Into the realm of the unknown Where Jesus is And He's holding out His hand ~ " Voice of Truth "-Casting Crowns      Earlier this year in one of the online services, my home church did a sermon about Jesus walking on the water and Peter joining him. Our deacon talked about how important it is for us to step out in faith even when it's hard. Unfortunately,  as proven by a letter we received a couple of weeks ago, she and the other leaders are still firmly in the boat when it comes to reopening the church.     My favorite telling of this Gospel story comes from the song quoted above.  No one really wants to step out of their comfort zone. In the words of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory , "It's called the comfort zone for a reason." However, as the song says, Jesus is standing outside of our comfort zone waiting for u

      One of the projects I started working on this summer is a collection of short stories about people in the Gospels who have a life-changing experience but don't have a name. I had been thinking about doing it for a while because I was intrigued by their stories and wondered what the rest of their lives might have been like. I knew that there was a greater depth to some of these stories than the Gospel writers mentioned. I decided to write each story from the person's perspective so readers could explore how these people viewed their interactions with Jesus.     The first story I tackled was that of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11). A sermon I heard earlier this year talked about this story. In the sermon, it was mentioned that the law stated that both parties caught in adultery should be stoned, yet only the woman was brought out. I began thinking about who the man was and why he was not implicated as well. Later on, I read the passage from Leviticus that gives t

We're living in a world that keeps breaking But if we want to find a way to change it It all comes down to this Love God, love people ~ Danny Gokey, " Love God, Love People "      These past few months have been crazy. A pandemic has been working its way through almost every country in the world. Churches and schools have closed, and many are not opening again anytime soon.  "Essential services" has been defined in such a way that abortion is allowed while important surgeries and therapies are put on hold. Many people are without work with no end in sight. Mask mandates have led to violent confrontations between employees and customers. Tragic deaths of blacks at the hands of police have led to protests and riots. Governments throughout the country come up with mandates to help curb the spread of the virus for people's physical health without giving a second thought to their mental and spiritual health.      All these things can make our situation se

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some , but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." ~ Hebrews 10:24-25, emphasis mine     Soon after things started shutting down to help control the spread of the Coronavirus, I predicted that the longer the shutdowns drug on, the harder it would be to start things up again once it was safe to do so. Now that most places are opened up again, I am starting to see that I was right. Stores and restaurants aren't nearly as busy as they used to be, movie theatre chains aren't yet opening their doors even in the locations where they can do so, and events that had been rescheduled from spring to summer are rescheduling again to next year. In most cases, this doesn't bother me because it means I don't have to deal with as many people while I'm out and about. The one place it does bother me is churches fallin

"One by one we will call for a ceasefire One by one we will fight for a better end One by one we can rewrite the headlines We're standing side by side Ceasefire" ~ For King and Country, " Ceasefire "     As probably all of my American readers, and maybe even some international readers, already know, George Floyd died in Minneapolis on Monday, May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Since that day, protests have taken place in cities across the country, and even some places in other countries. Most of the protests have been peaceful, like the one here in Wichita, Kansas last Saturday. Unfortunately, many others have not been. While I grieve this senseless tragedy, I don't think violence is the answer.     One reason I feel this way is because the violence of the protests can easily overshadow the reason behind them. Almost six years ago, Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Missouri. The weeks that followed were filled with pro

     Throughout America right now, places are starting to ease back into normal life post-pandemic. However, since the pandemic hasn't been completely eradicated, the CDC recommends wearing masks out in public, and in some places, masks are required. Many people are resisting wearing masks, which has led to a few violent confrontations in places where they are required. While I can understand why people feel like wearing a mask is a control issue, especially when it's not optional, I don't see it this way. Even though I live in a place where masks aren't required, I still choose to wear one for a few reasons.     The main reason I choose to wear a mask out in public is because if I were exposed to the virus, I probably would be an asymptomatic carrier. I am a healthy young woman with a strong immune system. Even if I ended up getting symptoms, they probably would not be severe, so I could easily misinterpret them. I have seasonal allergies, which can cause coughing, sne

It has now been over a month since my life was normal. For some of you, it may be longer, and for some, it may not be as long. Unfortunately, this global pandemic has left few unscathed throughout the world, even if no one they know was affected by the virus itself. This past month has brought some good things, and some not so good. I was reminded a couple of weeks ago of a youth group tradition at my church of sharing pows and wows (bad things and good things), and so here in no particular order are the pows and wows of this last month, starting with a few things that were a bit of both. Pow/Wow- The news:  While it's been good to get information about what's going on, the constant updates get to be a bit much. A few of my friends have decided to not watch the news at all, but I think that's a bit extreme. I have decided to still watch and read some news but limit how much I watch and read. That often means reading only part of long articles and occasionally muting the T

"For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence ...You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness , or the destruction that wastes at noonday." ~ Psalm 91:3, 5-6, emphasis mine I'm guessing that you already know about the global pandemic of Coronavirus. You are probably suffering some of the effects, not from the virus itself, but from the panic and social distancing its path through our world has caused. Just this past weekend, the cast party for  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , the monthly Kansas Authors' Club meeting, and all services at my church were canceled. Not only that, but I found out yesterday that everything at church is canceled until April 1. I was able to go to Zumba Sunday after being gone for a month and a half while rehearsing for and performing Joseph , but before the day was over, the local YMCAs closed for the next week at l

"My God has set me free Opened my eyes, now I can see The devil is a liar And he's not fooling me" ~ " The Devil is a Liar " - We Are Messengers As anyone familiar with my blog probably already knows, my life has not been an easy one. I've dealt with the deaths of people I loved dearly, seen my dream lying shattered at my feet, and at one point saw no purpose left in my life but to end it. The past week has been no exception. I had to deal with a costly repair to my car and students who refused to listen or work. To say that my depression hit me hard on Tuesday would be an understatement. Not only that, but I also developed a headache by the end of the day that lasted well into Wednesday even though I went to bed early that night to try and dispell it. However, I don't tell you these things to try and get you to pity me. Instead, I tell you because these events do not define me, and similar events in your own life don't define you. One of th

My entire life, I have had no desire to smoke. My maternal grandfather died six years before I was born from the one-two punch of emphysema and lung cancer caused by years of smoking. From what I have heard about him, he and I would have gotten along very well because I am so much like him. With each thing I learn about him, I become even more resolved to never let the butt of a cigarette touch my lips. However, there was one day I desperately craved a cigarette. It had been a stressful day at work, as many of them are. The field of special education is not for the faint of heart. As I began my drive home, I craved something to release the tension flowing through me, and a cigarette seemed like a viable option. After all, many people turn to them for the same reason. My promise to myself to never smoke was the only thing holding me back. Now, I easily could have just given in, but that option seemed almost too easy. Instead, I prayed and asked God why I was feeling that pull toward

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord" ~ Isaiah 6:1 Recently, I was reading Isaiah 6, and I was struck by the contrast in the opening verse. Isaiah kicks off this passage about an amazing vision of God he experienced that led to his calling as a prophet by saying it happened "In the year that King Uzziah died". Now, in his time period, describing a well-known event that also happened that year was a great way for listeners to understand when he had this vision. The year designations we have now weren't around back in the time of the prophets because they're based on when Jesus came, which was hundreds of years after the time of Isaiah. However, even in the 21st century, we can fall into this same pattern of telling time. A few examples of this from my own life: 2004: In the year both my grandmothers died, I got my kitten Angel and went to a wonderful church camp. 2012:  In the year I was in a scary car accident, I went to Scotland and start