There is no plan B. There is no backup plan. Contingencies are out the door. God has a goal for me and my life. I need to lean into Jesus and hear the plan for today. The enemy deceives me, leading me to believe if I do not do what my Father wants, then someoneContinue reading “There Is No Plan B”
Author Archives: Intentional Faith
Are We Not Alive Till Our First Breath?
I read someone’s argument on social media that “Human life occurs at the moment God breathes into [naphach] the biological life the breath of life [neshamat chayyim, ‘soul life’]. This happens at birth.” When several other commenters pointed this person to what Scripture has to say about God forming the unborn, they responded, Job 31:15Continue reading “Are We Not Alive Till Our First Breath?”
Something Old, Something New
Thousands of people have prayed for Sarah Walton. Most of whom she has never met. In the past ten years, Walton, the best-selling coauthor of Hope When It Hurts, has suffered through chronic illness, multiple surgeries for a debilitating foot injury, financial stress stemming from her husband’s job loss, and a cross-country move with fourContinue reading “Something Old, Something New”
You Are Never ‘Just’
“I’m just a church member.” Over the years, I’ve heard people say this when introducing themselves. There are many reasons why someone might say this (they may want to clarify that they aren’t in full-time ministry). But I cringe inside when I hear it. And if I’m able, I offer a gentle correction because there’sContinue reading “You Are Never ‘Just’”
Seeing Past the Ugliness
There are few things I love more than a good sunrise. There are few things I love more than waking up before dawn, driving to one of the parks or beaches along the shores of Lake Ontario, and watching the sun rise over the waters. Some of the richest and most beautiful displays of God’sContinue reading “Seeing Past the Ugliness”
Lies That Lead to Lazy
Come, follow closely, and gaze for a moment upon a rare creature in his native habitat. There he is, drooling upon his pillow an hour before lunchtime, creaking over the bedsprings like a door on its hinges. “How long will you lie there? When will you arise from your sleep?” his mother shouts from theContinue reading “Lies That Lead to Lazy”
Government Persecution Trumps Religious Terrorism
Dictators are the worst persecutors of believers. This perhaps uncontroversial finding was verified for the first time in the Pew Research Center’s 11th annual study surveying restrictions on freedom of religion in 198 nations. The median level of government violations reached an all-time high in 2018, as 56 nations (28%) suffer “high” or “very high”Continue reading “Government Persecution Trumps Religious Terrorism”
Has a Job Been Done on Us?
Steve Jobs died ten years ago this month. At the corporate memorial held on Apple’s campus, a previously unreleased version of the 1997 “Think Different” Apple commercial was played. In this version, Jobs himself performed the voice-over, so everyone at the memorial heard him speak one final exhortation to the world: “The people who areContinue reading “Has a Job Been Done on Us?”
Yes, Love Is Slow
When I first met my husband I was 16 years old. I would have said I fell in love with him immediately. We stood in the darkness of an October night and talked and talked. Two months later we exchanged those words—I love you—also whispered in the dark of night. But it took five moreContinue reading “Yes, Love Is Slow”
Beware the Listening Prayer
The Bible speaks often of prayer, but it does not mention “listening prayer” as a type of prayer to practice. The idea of “listening prayer” is to spend some time talking to the Lord and the rest of the time listening to His response. Or, sometimes, the listening comes first and the prayer second. ListeningContinue reading “Beware the Listening Prayer”
