Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 18:21–35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” [And] Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21–22). [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 18:15–20
My daughter received an intriguing text from her boyfriend. It read, “I am so embarrassed. I have to leave work.” Apparently, his office shares one small bathroom, and when he failed to lift the seat, [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 16:21–27
You may not know this about me, but I am a royal watcher. I researched their scandals, followed their family drama, and even cried when Queen Elizabeth II died. You can imagine my delight when my children’s babysitter handed me a book with Kate Middleton’s face on it. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 16:13–20
As I write this, I’m sitting on the banks of a river in West Virginia. We come here every year. Rising twelve feet from the middle of the river is a massive rock, seventy feet long by fifty feet wide. [...]
I believe that America’s greatest idols are self-autonomy and self-reliance. It is all too easy for our identity to become wrapped up in ourselves—to be “self-made” women:
to be the best at what we set out to do
to have a “perfect” self-care regime
to be that healthy #bossbabe who drinks eight glasses of water a day
to have an immaculately clean house while being a fully present wife and mother
Our culture feeds us the lie that we only need to listen to our “personal truth” (whatever that is) to find happiness and wisdom. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 15:21–28
In this week’s gospel, I have no doubt that if I had been the Canaanite woman, I would have been tempted to walk away from Jesus—offended and hurt. And yet this woman, a Gentile who does not know Scripture or Jewish tradition, [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 14:22–33
We recently had some powerful summer storms come through our small Pennsylvania town. It was as though the skies opened up just seconds before I had to leave to pick up my youngest son from camp. I drive a big car, [...]
One of my favorite verses in Scripture is John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” I love that Jesus' desire for us is not merely to exist or cope with our circumstances but to live abundantly. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 17:1–9
A few years ago, my family and I spent a month volunteering at a youth camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Week after week, groups of teens would come from all over the West Coast for activities, talks, [...]
In the midst of uncertainty, when we do not know which path to take; during the seasons of our life when the seas are stormy, and Jesus appears to be sleeping in the boat; in times of darkness, when grief has a stronghold on our heart, [...]
