St. Lucy is a virgin and martyr of Syracuse in Sicily, whose feast is celebrated on December 13th. According to tradition, Saint Lucy was born to rich and noble parents in the year 283. Her father was of Roman origin, but his early death left her dependent upon her mother, whose name, Eutychia, seems to indicate that she was of Greek heritage. Like so many of the early martyrs, Lucy had consecrated her virginity to God, and she hoped to devote all her worldly goods to the service of the poor. Her mother, Eutychia, arranged a marriage for her, but for three years she managed to postpone the ma ..read more

I have a friend in Staten Island who is probably one of the wisest women I have ever met. She is always poised, cool, calm, and collected. Whenever she dresses for work there is never a hair out of place or a crinkle in her pencil skirt. Her kitten heels never fail to glide her elegantly across a room and she is never without a smile – even in the midst of someone who may have momentarily forgotten their manners. This woman’s professional experience has helped her develop great wisdom. She knows about life, business, and how to deal with every possible type of personality. One of her favorite ..read more

Do you trust your significant other? Your parents? Your friends? I am sure many of you are sitting there shaking your heads “yes” in agreement? Why is that? The answer is simple – the key to any relationship is trust. Without trust, there can be no commitment. God asks each of us to trust Him with our lives and heart. It’s impossible for Him to fail us because the Lord is faithful. Each of us must remember that even when things may not work out the way we want them to it’s because God has something better for us in mind. Patience is hard, but if we can wait His plan will come to fruition when ..read more

As a blind woman, physically seeing the world around me is no easy task. However, losing my sight did cause me to become a better listener. I know that if I want to hear the voice of God then I need to be willing to stop – wait – and listen. By being deliberate about this, I am intentionally asking God to lead the direction of my life. My life is a ship and God is the Captain. Life is busy. Kids, work, blogs, seminary, and other responsibilities make it challenging to drown out the world. But you need to take the time, find the place, and center yourself to hear the Lord. This will bring you ..read more

The book of Acts contains three accounts of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who would later be known as the apostle Paul. This militant opponent of Jesus Christ was destined to become one of the most ardent advocates of Christianity. The story of Paul’s conversion teaches us that God is able to convert the most unlikely of sinners and use them to spread the Gospel in His name. Saul was Vicious If we look at the type of person Saul was, one could debate that he was not the most likely candidate for salvation. Saul was a vicious and malicious human being. Luke states (9:1) how he threatened m ..read more

In speaking to His disciples about a coming time of great destruction, Jesus mentioned what happened to Lot’s wife and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “Remember Lot’s wife!” He said. “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it” (Luke 17:32–33). The story of Lot and his wife is found in Genesis 19. God had determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness (Genesis 18:16–33), and two angels warned Abraham’s nephew, Lot,  to evacuate the city so he and his family would not be destroyed. At dawn the next day, the angels hur ..read more

The story of Samson and Delilah can be found in chapter 16 of the Book of Judges. The story begins with the announcement of Samson’s birth by the angel of the Lord (Judges 13:1–24). In fact, Samson’s birth was divinely preannounced to his parents (Judges 13:3). This announcement is similar to the impending births of Isaac, John the Baptist, and Jesus were also declared by the visitation of an angel. Samson, whose name means “sunshine,” was born sometime between 1045 BC and 1000 BC, during a dark period of Israel’s history. Historically, the nation had turned from God seven times and now they ..read more

The Book of Ruth is one of only two books of the Bible to be named after women (the other is Esther). Despite its short length, this remarkable book is filled with useful principles that can positively impact our relationship with God. The Book of Ruth begins with a story about another woman named Naomi. Naomi packed up and moved from Judah to Moab due to a terrible famine that was affecting her family. She and her husband moved there with their two sons, who eventually took wives while living in Moab. Tragically, Naomi loses her husband and two sons. She is devastated by grief and decides to ..read more

The book of Job consisted of forty-two chapters in the Hebrew Scriptures. Although the author of these stories is unknown, we do know that it is possibly the oldest of any book in the Bible. Within these chapters, we read how God himself puts Job to the test. God is trying to ascertain Job’s commitment to faith as Satan attacks him physically, mentally, and spiritually. Job Loses Everything The story begins by describing an encounter between Satan and God. God asks if he’s considered Job’s righteousness (Job 1:8; 2:3). Satan responds by accusing Job of only serving God because of the blessing ..read more

One of my most favorite books within the Bible is the book of James. This book is not a narrative like the gospels and Acts, rather it is more like the “Proverbs of the New Testament.” Instead of telling stories of Jesus or providing a highly structured theological doctrine to develop or substantiate faith, James chooses applicable wisdom. James’ collection of sayings and life lessons provides the reader with a deeper understanding of sanctified thinking. It is not, however, without structure as each chapter builds upon the last with relevant themes for living a life in service to God. Living ..read more