The world is in chaos and everyone seems to be shouting their opinion right now. Have you noticed? Is it wearing you down? Me too.  But even more than that, I get irritated at MYSELF when I notice I’m complaining or criticizing. I don’t want to slip into a habit of negativity. I don’t want to be rude because I don’t agree with someone.  I don’t want to avoid talking to someone I love because I’m tired of hearing their opinions about politics I don’t agree with.   We are called to be loving. But it’s hard when you disagree with someone, especially on issues that are v ..read more

The world knows how to complicate things. Christianity is no exception.  There are so many different branches of Christianity and ideas and perspectives about who is right and wrong, who is good and bad. Let’s keep it simple and talk about what Christianity is at the core…and what it isn’t.     LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE #1 Christianity is NOT a race to see who can DO more for God.   The world would like us to believe the busier we are the better. The harder we work and the more we produce the more value we have. The better we are. It’s only natural that w ..read more

The environment we are in can influence our mind, body, and spirit. Find out below why surrounding yourself with Scripture can be particularly powerful.   “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE #1 Scripture is the Living Word of God The Bible isn’t just a nice book to read and get tips and tricks for life. It’s the living word of God. Every time you read Scriptu ..read more

Friendships blossom when you start being real with the person. This requires a certain level of trust in the other person that they will treat your truths with the privacy and respect they deserve. Can you trust Jesus enough to put away your Sunday Smile and be real with Him? Find out in this article. LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE What is a Sunday Smile? To a certain extent, we all make slight adjustments in how we act or behave if we are with someone we are very familiar and comfortable with verses if we are in public or with someone we don’t know very well. This is natural and very huma ..read more

It is common to struggle with a wandering mind during prayer. As humans, we think we need to rely on our sheer willpower to keep our mind on our prayers. But relying solely on our own strength means we are missing out on a lot of help and peace we could be getting from Jesus. In this post, get three simple steps to take when your mind wanders during prayer to help you tap into the power of Jesus.   LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE #1 Ask Jesus to guide your thoughts, memories, and imagination. Do this right when you sit down for your prayer time, but if you forget and you find your mind ..read more

In this post, find out 3 key ways to know if you prayed well so you can gain confidence in your Christian prayer. LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE What was your intention? When you sat down to pray, what was your intention, even if your mind didn’t always cooperate and prayer didn’t go exactly how you had hoped? If your intention was to be with Jesus, then you did well. Jesus took care of the rest. Sometimes we think our prayer time is based on our own skill or ability, and if we can’t see the immediate results or benefit then it wasn’t successful. But the truth is, all we need to do is just ..read more

There are many good ways to dive into the Word of God, but have you chosen the one that ignites your faith? Find out if your Bible reading plan is right for you!   LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE What’s your motivation? Are you hoping to read the Bible for quantity with the goal of reading the entire Bible in one year? Or would you prefer to read for quality, reading less each day but diving deeper into each verse and sometimes a single phrase that speaks to your soul as you prayerfully work your way through the Bible? Knowing what you hope to get out of it can be a great way to get st ..read more

The Bible is a big book. It can be hard to know where to start. Get a simple overview to help you decide more easily.   LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE #1 HISTORIC BOOKS – The Gospels The first four books of the Bible are called the Gospels and they tell the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection from the perspective of four people, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, meaning it all comes from God, but each of these men have their own unique personality that is woven into the story as well. Matthew was a tax collector and if you pay attention to ..read more

This Easter many of us will be stuck at home. To top it off, where we live, we have a snowstorm headed our way! So, here’s a list of movies we can all watch to help keep the Easter story alive in our hearts and imaginations this year. Powerful movies about Jesus to watch this Easter: Jesus of Nazareth (Rated R) – This movie is pretty intense, so beware of that if you have little kids or you are tender-hearted. This movie is from 1977 so it has a little more of that old-school feel. The Passion of Christ (Rated R) – This movie came out in 2004 and is spectacular but extremely emotion ..read more

We are in the second week of quarantine due to COVID-19 and the coronavirus. The first week was an adjustment phase for our family during which we were still allowed to have a small amount of coming and going. That helped keep some normalcy.  But now we are in the thick of it. Businesses are closed. Restaurants can only serve curbside, and it is no longer just a suggestion to keep gatherings to ten or fewer people — it’s the law.  I can remember when our priest said China was canceling Mass. I felt bad for “those people.” I imagined how hard that would be. I was glad nothing like that wo ..read more