I’ve been thinking a lot about the first Advent and the early years of Jesus’ childhood. I wonder what Mary was thinking as she brought her son into the world, so far from home. Instead of nesting she had to flee to Bethlehem. So much for planning a cozy home birth. And yet, she held [...]Read More
Our Turn to Wonder
Week One: Wonder Advent Blog Series featuring the Women of Cohort 8 The first Sunday in December marks the beginning of Advent, a season of expectant waiting and preparation of the coming Messiah. Our culture characterizes the season with carols, gift giving, and cheer. But, what many [...]Read More
Love
Love Alone by Andrea Ackermann “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him…Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and [...]Read More
Joy
Finding Joy In Tribulation by Ivoire Morrell 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-4 (NIV) When many of us think of joy, we picture [...]Read More
Peace
Peace In Thin Places by Bruce Rhodes This advent 2018, I’ve been thinking about how much darker the world would be if God had not revealed himself to the humble humans that make up the Christmas story. The messages God sent to his people prepared the world for a sacred moment: the [...]Read More
Hope
Hope by Adriana Mondragon-Hill Through every mountain high and every valley low, God reveals Himself to be true to His Word and promises. I choose to trust Christ daily, especially during seasons of turbulence, whether in my personal life or throughout the world. Trusting Christ reminds me [...]Read More
Joy in Uncertainty
Different Bible translations are a true gift. Being able to read from any and every translation we can get our hands on can give us a fuller sense of how the Scriptures are speaking to us, especially when it comes to a passage that can be hard to understand. So, when I come across passages like 1 [...]Read More
May it Be to Me
In the midst of our weary, dark, and broken world, we wait for the fulfillment of the impossible: light will break through, oppression will cease, peace is possible, and salvation is imminent. This legacy of belief in the Church was mothered by the most unlikely of women - Mary. This young, [...]Read More