Walking with Purpose

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 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. [...]

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, [...]

Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 13:1–9
I am an amateur gardener. And by an amateur, I mean I buy beautiful plants, do nothing but water them, hope for the best, and when they die, I buy new ones to start the process again. 
Therefore, [...]

Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 3:16–18
Have you ever been at the mall, DMV, or anywhere in public, scanned the scene, and thought, “Really, Lord, You love everyone? Even that guy?” Asking for a friend, of course.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the reality of God’s kind of love. [...]

Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 4:1-11
Brené Brown confessed on her Unlocking Us podcast that when praying at Mass, she likes to change the words of some of the prayers so that they make more sense to her. “I always say in the Lord's prayer 'deliver us from fear and shame' instead of 'deliver us from evil.'” She agreed with her guest that “lead us not into temptation implies that God leads us into temptation.”[1] I can understand how people often misinterpret the Bible, [...]

Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 1:1–18
Breathe in: You are here with me, God.
Breathe out: And I am here with You.
I think we all need this little 10-second break to take a breath and come into the awareness and presence of Emmanuel, [...]

Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 24:36–44
On the first day of my junior year of college, I sat stunned as I heard my professor say, “In this class, I will never tell you when you are going to have a test.” I was outraged. [...]

Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Luke 18:1–8
There was once a time in my life when my prayers to God were bold. I asked Him for everything from revival in the world and miracles in tragedy to things like my sanctification, a husband, acne medicine that I couldn’t afford, [...]