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13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.  - Matthew 19:13-15 Students are interesting. … Continue reading The Value of Kids →

38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39) "Freed from everything". Only in the Christian faith do we witness the most spectacular of events - our … Continue reading Free Freedom →

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13) Remember middle school? Sorry to bring up bad memories, but kickball. I'm not sure about your experience but … Continue reading Jesus Loves The Dorks →

"God, I love Moonlight so much! I'm so excited for Moonlight! And of course, it was an amazing thing to hear La La Land. I think we all would have loved to win Best Picture. But we are so excited for Moonlight. I think it's one of the best films of all time. So I was pretty beside myself." -Emma Stone It … Continue reading What the Oscars Taught Me →

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God … Continue reading Sunday Wrap Up and The Tension of Heaven →

1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." (Psalm 16:1-2) Where do you take refuge? Those bad days are inevitable. In these moments, we run toward comfort and seek escape. In this world, we have plenty to … Continue reading It’s Okay to Laugh →

7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) Working with teens has given me a deep respect for the various forms gender takes. All too often we designate to kids what it is to be male or female and consequentially … Continue reading Teens, Gender, and the Dirt of God →

As I took my nightly shower, my eye caught a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy hiding behind the worn bar of Dove soap. Like it's prone to do in the shower, my mind wandered about the essence of Turtle Power. While I let the conditioner penetrate my scalp, I had the strange thought: why do … Continue reading Why Do Turtles Wear Masks? →

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26) The reason we are so bad at prayer is because we make it too much about us. Any spiritual practice that relies … Continue reading Why We Don’t Pray →

23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait … Continue reading I Groan For Heaven →