God’s Grace After a Fall

“And God saw all that He had made; and behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:24). With those hopeful words, the story of the Bible—our story—begins. Moses, the author of Genesis, doesn’t tell us how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden before falling into sin, but just two chapters later, he gives us … Continue reading God’s Grace After a Fall →

A Thank-You Note to 2020

Dear 2020, Here we are at Thanksgiving, and you’re now on the way out the door. It seems like I have much more to complain about this year than to be thankful for, but maybe that’s because I’m not looking in the right places. Like Mr. Davis, my 9th grade biology teacher, you’ve been difficult … Continue reading A Thank-You Note to 2020 →

My Prayer on Election Day

Here we are. November 3, 2020. Whether you’ve already sent in your absentee ballot, or you’re about to grab your mask and black pen and head to your polling place, I’m sure you can’t wait for this election cycle to end. And yet, perhaps you also approach this day with a bit of trepidation. We’ve … Continue reading My Prayer on Election Day →

Scarlett O’Hara and Sacrifice

I’ve recently been reading Gone with the Wind, the great American novel set against the backdrop of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Though I’ve read it a couple times before, this time through has been a little different. The hardships of war have seemed a little closer to home, given the crisis affecting our world … Continue reading Scarlett O’Hara and Sacrifice →

Our God Is an Awesome Guard

It was the most costly art theft in history; and if the security guards had done their jobs, it probably never would have happened. Briefly, the tale goes like this. Early in the morning of March 18, 1990, the overnight security guards broke protocol and allowed two thieves into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in … Continue reading Our God Is an Awesome Guard →

Scoundrels and Scallywags

From Scarlett O’Hara and Scout Finch to Aslan and Sherlock Holmes, good characters make for good stories. When I read a book lacking likable or relatable characters, I’m unlikely to enjoy or even finish it (I’m looking at you, Pride and Prejudice!). I want to get to know the characters and, at some point, be … Continue reading Scoundrels and Scallywags →

“Leave on the next train.”

“We’re all done. We’ll clean up the classrooms tonight, and leave on the next train back to Chengdu.” With those words, I experienced something I had only read about. My junior year of college began as most semesters do—by catching up with friends. We talked about jobs, camps, adventures, and boys; you know, the usual … Continue reading “Leave on the next train.” →

Diving In…

Bible study nerd? Where’d that come from? Let me explain. First of all, I don’t actually think that studying the Bible is nerdy—not at all. However, I am nerdy. And passionate about studying and teaching the Word of God. Marking the text with colored pens/pencils brings a tear to my eye; doing word studies makes … Continue reading Diving In… →