In English, the following is a well-known saying: “Can’t see the forest for the trees.”
In many ways, this is my life’s idiom.
I’m a details person. I love, and thrive off of, the minutiae.
This is both a blessing and a curse. The ability to hone in has tremendous benefits; however, this tunnel vision can also be crippling. I often miss the major point or the overall gist because I’m too preoccupied with the details.
I recently had brunch with a friend during which we chatted about my obstructed vision regarding a recent incident. In response, she shared the following...
Last week after class, one of my female students asked, “Have you ever preached before?”
I responded, “Heavens no! I’m definitely not a preacher.”
She responded, “Oh, you’re just so passionate, I thought you’d be great at it. Plus, you do a good job keeping us awake.”
(Note to self: minimize self-deprecating statements in front of students)
This isn’t the first time someone has brought this to my attention. Several friends, prior seminarians, and current coworkers have asked me the same question (my response to them has been similar)...
Over the last 5 years, I’ve watched several friends go through their pregnancy journey.
It’s nothing short of heroic.
In a recent phone conversation with one of my girlfriends (who has two children), we decided that life is like an extended pregnancy—rather than just three trimesters, life’s full of them...
I think Jo March’s response is the mantra of many single moms.
My mom was a single mother for most of our childhood. As of late, I’ve been wondering what type of woman she could’ve been had she not been consigned to this fate, the great things she could’ve done had she not sacrificed all to raise her children, and what she could’ve accomplished had she had a loving, supportive spouse to bear the burden of life and children...
In Judges 7, Gideon engages in his first military battle against the Midianites.
At the time of Gideon’s appointment, Israel had been subject to Midian for seven years as a result of their disobedience (Jud. 6.1). Like their ancestors in Egypt, Israel cried out to God to save them from their Midianite oppressors. Though God initially rebuked them for failing to heed his voice, he ultimately promised deliverance by raising up a mighty warrior—Gideon (Jud. 6.7-17).
In so doing, God made it clear that the victory, the act of deliverance, was his. Not Gideon’s, not Israel’s...
