I have been thinking about the word acknowledge. Merriam-Webster gives several different definitions of this word. They include: to recognize the rights, authority, or status of to disclose knowledge of or agreement with to express gratitude or obligation for to take notice of to make known the receipt of to recognize as genuine or valid…
Category: Christian Living
What Will You Do With Jesus?
As followers of Jesus, we never really get to a point where we have “arrived.” Would you agree? I know for me, the Holy Spirit is constantly convicting me of ways I can grow and mature to become more like Jesus. I’m human, which means I am definitely imperfect. There is always room for improvement….
A Right Response to Satan Lurking in the Darkness
My daily class schedule changed this year. Half of my classes are middle school and half are high school, and they include journalism, world literature, computers and an introduction to computer science course. I actually quite enjoy the variety. Teaching the exact same thing over and over all day long might get boring for me….
What Happens When You Focus on the Next Step
Ohhh what we would do to know God’s long-term plan for our lives, right? Or maybe I should just speak for myself here. I feel like I’m constantly craving a big picture plan. It doesn’t necessarily stress me out to not know what my next 5-10 years hold, but I often find myself thinking that…
A Helpful Look at Your “Quiet Time” Motives
Last summer, I found myself studying books and Bible passages that resonated around a certain theme. It seemed clear that the Holy Spirit wanted me learning and growing in one specific area, and so I spent time each day reading and praying about this. As the days went by and summer neared its end, I…
How to Pre-Treat Your Life for Difficult Seasons
It’s winter in the midwest, and that means… Snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Bring it on! (This teacher loves the joy of snow days. 😀) This winter, when Kansas City had its first snowfall, there was a lot more havoc on the streets than anticipated. Part of this was because more snow fell than the…
A Surprising Lesson from a Shrewd Manager
The Bible is far from boring. Walls that fall down after people shout, fig trees that shrivel and die instantaneously, a floating zoo, a bush that’s on fire but doesn’t burn, a dead man who walks out of his grave in his grave clothes, and the list goes on. Not boring! If anybody tries to…
The Case for Single-Tasking in a Busy World
The world we live in is a fast-paced, busy place. You know this full well! There’s always something going on; in fact, there’s often lots of somethings going on. Have you ever returned a few texts while listening to a podcast as you wait for your name to be called at the dentist’s office? We…
The Powerful Connection Between Body and Spirit
If you’re a living, breathing human, then you have surely had a day (or season) when you’ve felt down in the dumps. Everything seems to be going wrong, and you feel sad and discouraged. Sometimes you might just need a quick reminder that God lifts you up. He lifts your mood, your spirit, your sense…
One Important Way to be Different From the World
Linger. How often do you linger somewhere? Linger means to move or act slowly. To tarry, stall, lollygag or dawdle. To take your time. To lounge around and maybe even become idle. Our world clips by at a pretty quick speed most days, so lingering may feel awkward or even foreign to you. Is there…