I met Jesus when I was 9, but I didn’t turn from my ways to follow Him until I was 28–puddled in a pit of despair, broken beyond what I could fix. I definitely imagined Jesus with a pointed finger, because honestly, that’s what I knew I deserved for all my defeat-on-repeat failures to do better where sin was out of control in my heart and life. Thankfully, I’ve found is rest in His open arms.
Read MoreWhat was Eve thinking? How could she ruin things so miserably for all of us for all time? I want to blame her! I want to be mad and hold a grudge (and excuse my sin, because after all, she started it). But then one day, I sensed a distinct impression from God: Shauna, you would have done the same thing. You know what? He’s right. (Actually, He’s always right.) That’s not all. There are a whole slew of things in Genesis 3 that are good lessons for us today.
Read More“Is anything worth more than your soul?” Jesus asks in Mark 8:37 (NLT). I’m not sure I could count the ways I’ve traded pieces of my soul for empty promises. I have tried so hard to have it my way, like a Burger King Whopper, but there is just no way. So what is the way?
Read MoreI took my last one to vote for her first time. To me, it’s a big deal. Much has been sacrificed for us to enjoy freedom. I wonder if we won't truly know how big a deal it is until we lose it? This election is a big deal. My dad said he hasn't seen unrest like this since Vietnam, and I get it if you don’t want to vote. As presidential candidates go, seems like the challenge is to decide which is the better of two bad options.
Read MoreA month ago, I got lash extensions. I actually prayed about it, because I want to please God, and when He said “No,” I did it anyway. As much as I want to walk by the spirit and obey God in the simplest of things, I also want to please my flesh, and my flesh wanted eyelashes! I immediately became obsessed. I compulsively stared at myself in the mirror, at once admiring and criticizing them. Within 24 hours, I decided I would switch lash studios, because a friend of mine goes to one that does brows, too. I asked another friend about lip injections, because why not address the wrinkles on my lip line while I’m at it? For me, it was a SLIPPERY. SLOPE. After one week, I was in bondage and cried out to God, “Please, God, if you’re not in it, I don’t want it!”
Read MoreAnyone struggle with the “cancel culture”? It’s a real thing, and it’s happening at an individual level, too. I’ll be honest, it scares me. I don’t want to be cancelled. Rejected. Shunned. I don’t want to be hated and all alone. But as a follower of Christ and believer in the absolute truth of scripture, unless I choose silence, it's bound to happen. At some point, standing for God’s truth will put us in opposition with what’s popular and trending. In Daniel 3 of the same Bible that might “cancel” you with culture, there’s the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, Hebrew exiles in Babylon who refuse to bow down and worship the golden statue King Nebuchadnezzar erects in his own honor. How is this relevant to us today? Read more.
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