Choose joy

  My family and I travel to Cabo every other year. There’s something about the beaches that we can’t get enough of. I suppose most people assume a great beach is one with massive waves, never-ending sand, small secluded coves, rock pools, and the perfect spots to swim. Well, we all have our preferences and…

The Hunt

Easter, a day of celebration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem— most of us have become distracted by the hunt. “Like children scattering around a yard for Easter eggs, you and I are on the hunt. Our thirsty souls are rummaging in search of immediate success, satisfaction, and security.” We…

The Crescendo of Creation

“Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns Come in, she said, I’ll give you shelter from the storm.” -Bob Dylan “Even to see her walk across the room is…

Encouragement for Rush

Sasha Azevedo said, “When you love people and have the desire to make a profound, positive impact upon the world, then will you have accomplished the meaning to live.” For most students, the fall semester is jam-packed. Between classes, sports, volunteering and dances, most students would agree they could only use more time. Soon enough…

The Light: A Christmas Miracle

You know those people you just want to be around because they exude positivity and they always seem to make you laugh? Yeah, let’s face it, those people rock. My point is, we notice people. We see the way they serve others, the way they handle conflict and the way they carry themselves, etc. But,…

Tilted Halos

This letter was written to a family member struggling in a season of fear. We got to talking about doubt, fear, and self-righteousness which then led to this… I’ve been thinking about faith since we last talked. One question, in particular, continues to plague me. This question has led me to believe that my wonder…

Come, All Who are Weary

Tired. Exhausted. Worn-out. Spent. Fed up. These words seem to be the constant cry of my flesh. As head nods in class turn to sleeping through my alarm, I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t tired. The thing is, Jesus promised us rest. His promise didn’t offer us a checklist of tasks in order…

What My Dad Taught Me About Dating

My dad always made it clear that if you’re single, Satan is after you. He’s after all of us, however, there are some unique dangers in singleness — especially in “unwanted singleness.” Satan loves to deceive and discourage us in our singleness. Yet, what “he intends for evil God intends for good.” The Lord wants…

the struggle for immediate success

Have you ever reached the point where you feel like you’ve given everything you have and still you see no results?  Have you spent months working hard to not get promoted at the end of the quarter? Have you studied for weeks for the test to then receive an F? Have you put in the…

the cries of his people

This past Monday night I attended Vertical at Baylor University. Vertical “is a non-denominational, student led ministry that seeks to challenge college students to actively pursue an authentic and ‘vertical’ relationship with God.” This particular Monday I came in exhausted and completely overwhelmed. I had this thirst and hunger for the word unlike anything I had experienced…

don’t be the burden carrier

This past Saturday I met with our family counselor in hopes that I would gain a new perspective on how to better love my family and live in community with one another. [Side note: first, meeting with a counselor is healthy. second, “people think, ‘I have to be in crisis to have a counselor,’ or,…

pray for him.

To all my sisters who have felt like they will never get married, never find the right guy, are tired of waiting, or maybe you think all of the so-called “good” guys are way out of your league, this one is for you. I hope to offer you a bit of encouragement in this battle…