by Emily | Jun 13, 2016 | Freedom, Love, Prayer
When offering the prototypical prayer that represented our relationship with God, Jesus included an interesting clause: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13a). Temptation is what draws people toward sin, toward selfishness. So...
by Emily | May 20, 2016 | Freedom, Love, Pain, Prayer
[After a long hiatus due to significant life events, we are finally back to unpacking the beautiful example of prayer given by Jesus. Thanks for your patience!] Forgiveness is a topic that can strike a raw nerve in many hearts. Several years ago I co-authored a... by Emily | Apr 26, 2015 | Anxiety, Freedom, Prayer
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, take heart, and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14) After finishing my year overseas working at a counseling center for missionaries, I arrived in the USA with very little idea of what lay ahead, but a wide variety of options... by Emily | Dec 6, 2014 | Freedom, Kingdom of Heaven, Love, Prayer, The Beatitudes
When I look at the news headlines, I almost always see accounts of discord and power struggles, which catch our attention because of our aversion to pain and conflict. The global history of wars speaks of the human tendency to seek power, yet there remains a deep... by Emily | Nov 27, 2014 | Freedom, Love, Prayer
There is something special about Thanksgiving: It is a holiday reminding us of something to do, not only on one day but throughout the year. It is like other holidays in that it is based on the remembrance of an earlier event, but the name itself is based on an... by Emily | Nov 10, 2014 | Freedom, Kingdom of Heaven, Love, The Beatitudes
Have you noticed the cyclical patterns of relationships? It can go two directions: When one person demeans another, the recipient will often react negatively and hurtfully, giving more grounds for hard feelings, a pattern of conflict gradually escalating as the lists...