Here in the Midwest we love our seasons. We welcome the warmth and brightness of spring, we celebrate the long hot days and suntans that summer brings, we long for the cozy cool rituals that fall offers, and the promise of snow and customs in winter. While not every season is loved by all, each is important to the next and prepares the way for the one to follow. We gain our perspective of seasons through calendars, textbooks, and experience, understanding that winter will start to release its hold somewhere around March; summer will show up somewhere around June and wave goodbye in September.

I’ve often found myself wishing for a calendar for my own life—an outline for how long I could expect certain seasons to persist—something that could help me make sense of my surroundings. Many of us … Read More »

In Mark 6:36-52, we find a passage that tells two stories—the first is the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. The disciples bring the issue of the hungry people to Jesus, suggesting Jesus send them away for food to the surrounding towns. But instead of responding in agreement as the disciples expected, Jesus instructed the disciples to “give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37, NIV). The disciples were obviously shocked at this statement and responded accordingly, asking Jesus if they were expected to go and purchase food for all the people there.

Jesus never expected them to go purchase food for all the people. Rather He was testing their faith and their response to the question. This revealed their lack of sensitivity to the Spirit of the One they were following. Jesus put the disciples to work. He said to … Read More »

Summer time can be a challenging time in life as it is often a time of transition. Whether you find yourself entering or leaving school, moving, or anything else, we can find this season of limbo to be challenging to navigate, making the decisions we make throughout this time heavy and often a little frightening. Finding the will of God is a point of wrestling for many of us as we make our way through life.

We consider it to be this process of finding the one right answer that will make everything else in life make sense. This causes us to nervously wrestle with decisions and stress over seasons when we lack understanding or clarity. If you are anything like me, these times caused me to live in fear of making the wrong choices and somehow messing up my … Read More »

What does it look like to have faith? How do we get the kind of faith Jesus mentions when He grabs that little child and coaches His disciples on the necessity of childlike faith? While we wrestle with our day-to-day issues, it can seem overwhelming to consider a faith that moves mountains. After all, we are normal people with normal lives and that sort of thing just seems a bit out of reach.

In Mark chapter five we find the story of the bleeding woman. Mark tells us she had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. It is heartbreaking that this woman didn’t just feel awful and weak from the unending trial, but she also was left to deal with the social consequence of an issue she never asked for. She was considered unclean by law, meaning that anything … Read More »

Every time I read the short little book of Jonah, I find myself caught up in the painful reality that I identify with him and his story. While I’ve yet to be swallowed by a whale or lose my mind over a wilting plant, I’ve often found myself struggling to understand the path God has set me on, and unfortunately, I’ve found myself running the opposite direction more times than I care to admit. Why would I run? Why would anyone run from the voice or the direction of a God who spans the ends of the earth? Someone who sees all and knows the end from the beginning? How do we logic through walking away from the call, the direction, the Word?

These are the questions I’ve been asking myself, seeking to understand the logic behind our desire for self—our … Read More »