Study with Friends Blog

If Jesus came back today how would you react? Would you be prepared or would you be running around trying to gather oil or get your cleats on? Would you be like most trying to push it off to another day? 

This past Christmas, my sister gifted me a plain metal bracelet with two words stamped on it: trust GOD. I wear it practically every day and it has been a great at-a-glance reminder to do just that. I have walked some tough roads these past few years, trusting God even when life has been hard. I have trusted Him for healing and deliverance for myself and others and He has shown Himself strong.  Although I’ve grown in faith, there are still instances when I fail to trust Him completely. I too easily choose to ignore the deeper trust He is calling me to. 

There’s a Trisha Yearwood song from many years ago titled, The Song Remembers When. It’s a favorite of mine, as it talks about how connected music is to our life experiences. God created our amazing brains that attach memories to our senses.

It’s harvest time. We’re experiencing a very warm autumn here in Southeast PA. The leaves have finally started falling. The once green, full trees are now thinning and the landscape is starting to change. At about this time a few years ago I wrote my first blog for Study With Friends.

How often are we so distracted by the “extras” on the sandwich of our life that we forget the main thing?  I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a neighbor, an office manager, a stranger to passers-by, and the list goes on.  Each of these roles brings its own set of responsibilities and expectations.

Jesus’ miraculous “Feeding of the 5000” is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels.  I guess it made an impression on a myriad of those who witnessed the miracle, as each gospel writer (or his historical interviewees) remembered the incident and had it included it in his version of the gospel.

Spiritual Discipline: How to build a strong foundation Let’s talk about spiritual discipline. I know, it’s not my favourite topic either. In fact, I would never choose to talk about spiritual discipline. Why? Because discipline is hard, and I’ve had it up to here with hard. Just the term, ‘spiritual discipline,’ makes me feel uncomfortable. […]

I believe that through prayer we have a ticket to a personalized conversation with the Creator of the universe; yet it is something I take advantage of every day. One thing I am notorious for is taking things to the Lord in prayer, but then failing to praise Him when those prayers are answered.

I recently began working with my sons’ youth group, specifically for the junior high girls.  During our last small group session, a general discussion question prompted the girls to share their struggles as believers amongst friends and in school.  Across the board, the girls shared how difficult it is to be a Christian these days.

I have the unfortunate habit of wanting to be the best at things for which I think I have a natural talent (perceived or real). I recently got a road bike and an app that times my ride and on certain stretches of pavement. I can’t wait to get home to see if I set a new record or beat someone else’s time. Now every time I go for a bike ride, I feel like I’m in a bike race.