Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 6:30–34
It’s summer! And so we must be sipping iced tea, having manicured nails in lovely shades of pink, achieving a perfect golden bronze tan. We must also be watching sunsets, anticipating our family vacation to the Cape, eating ice cream while maintaining the ideal figure, [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 6:7–13
Chances are I would not have been among the apostles sent on their first missionary trip that we read about in this Sunday’s gospel. And if I had, well, I probably would have taken Jesus aside for a quick follow-up conversation regarding His “know before you go” instructions. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 4:35–41
Nothing inspires an instant response of gratitude in me more than immersing myself in God’s creation. Basking in His glory comes easy to me when wandering in a field of wildflowers, enjoying the shade of a tree, or savoring the radiant hues of a sunset. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 4:26–34
I was a co-catechist for first graders twelve years ago with my friend Kathy. We had our boys in our class, and after that experience, I never taught my kid again. We can save that story for another blog—or family therapy. [...]
I’ve heard it said that the sentence “Do not fear” is found in the Bible 365 times. While I can’t quite narrow down a credible source for that, I can confidently say that it appears enough within Scripture to warrant the claim that God knows His children and the emphasis that we place on our fear. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 20:19–31
In 2008, evangelical speaker and writer Angie Smith found out that her fourth baby would not survive more than a couple of hours outside of her womb. She began blogging about her experience, and two years later, amid my conversion, [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 3:14–21
It was how he held his fingers that got me. I have seen many images of our crucified Savior, but this one differed. It grabbed me because, unlike the familiar, sanitized versions I have grown accustomed to, this one did something to me. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 2:13–25
Have you ever walked out of a church utterly moved by the worship? What about a church that left you wondering if worship occurred at all? What was each like? How were the two experiences different?
Last March, [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 1:29–39
Sometimes, Jesus’ ways don’t make sense. For instance, years ago, I went to a healing mass, clutching a photo of a loved one I desperately wanted Jesus to restore to health. Despite my confidence in the power of God, [...]
Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States. More than 19% of adults (ages 18+) and more than 31% of adolescents (ages 13–18) live with an anxiety disorder.[1] This means, dear sister, the odds that you have first-hand experience with this mental illness—either because you struggle with anxiety or because someone you love does—are extremely high. [...]
