The workmate who is constantly stealing our thunder. The toxic friend with a talent of draining all of our energy. The acquaintance who makes hurtful remarks under the guise of, “I’m just kidding, why are you so sensitive?” We’ve all got someone in our life who is a bit difficult to love. Every day, we pray for new …
3 STEPS TO LOVING THOSE WHO DRIVE YOU UP THE WALL Read More »
Her demeanor was the first signal. The way she averted her eyes when I looked in her direction. Then, as we walked past her on our way out of church and my husband bid a friendly goodbye, her silence confirmed it—she was upset. I mentally combed through the last two hours, searching for something that …
HOW WE CAN ALL EXPERIENCE SOME GOOD FROM CONFLICT Read More »
I have a confession to make. Whenever I shake hands or hug someone, I try to wash my hands afterwards. Ever since I’ve done this, I’ve stopped catching colds. That’s because we catch the cold by touching someone who has a cold. They did a study where one group of people kissed a sick baby. Another group …
On the morning of my piano final exam, my roommate, Heather*, and I were at our double vanity getting ready for the day. She was speaking to someone on the phone when she began venting about me. She referenced me by a racial slur and made it clear she didn’t like me, or other light-skinned …
As we go through different stages of life—entering college, changing jobs, or just growing busy from changing responsibilities—we sometimes lose touch with old friends. Though it is normal for friendships to change with time, we don’t have to give up on a relationship simply because we are in a different stage of life. Is there a friend you’ve …
What comes to mind when you hear the words “serve one another”? Is it accompanied by the words “arduous”, “tiring”, and “can’t be bothered”? Yes, it can be hard work to make time in our busy schedules to serve our church, neighbors, colleagues, or friends. However, the call to serve one another is essential to our Christian …
Just today I dropped my peanut butter toast on the ground. I picked it up and ate it, because of the famous “Five Second Rule.” The “Five Second Rule” states: “if we drop food on the ground but pick it up within 5 seconds, it’ll still be OK to eat, because no germs will be …
Church is dismissed and the rustling starts. Do you quietly sneak out the back doors of the sanctuary? Or do you stick around, finding ways to soak up the richness of the diversity of the body of Christ? “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body,” Paul reminds us …
A few Sundays ago, an acquaintance of mine from church pulled me aside before the morning service to talk to me about a weakness in my character. She thought that l was too occupied with accommodating other’s needs in church, that I neglected my own needs. In her opinion, l could do with standing up …
Dear friend, I was devastated when you told me that you’ve decided to “give up” on God. But in some ways, your decision didn’t come as a complete surprise to me. For a long time, you’ve been struggling with deep hurts, unresolved conflicts, and emotional baggage. You took your pains to be signs that God …
A LETTER TO THE FRIEND WHO FEELS LIKE GIVING UP ON GOD Read More »
