I remember a year ago being in the same place. Every day was a struggle. I was always cold, 1) because it was winter here in Brazil, but 2) because I couldn’t really eat. It was an accomplishment just to down a piece of toast or a cup of water. I think about the little…

It’s not enough to know that God loves me. The bible is very clear that the goal of our faith is to know God, that means also to love God in return. Love is to fear him, and to obey him. If we truly know God, we know and see that he is infinitely holy…

Joshua and I have started sleep-training Dani. Basically, that means putting Dani down to sleep in her crib and we leave the room until she’s asleep. We decided it was time to teach her to sleep independently, before she gets too attached to me. We’ve been at it for 2 days now and both nights…

Whom have I in heaven but you?    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail,    but God is the strength of my heart    and my portion forever. Psalm 73: 25-26 What is the best news you could hear today? And what is the worst news? The answer to those questions will reveal where your heart…

What makes love love? I think the word “sacrifice” is the word that most often comes to mind. God gave up his Son for us. But as I think more, love is not just sacrifice. It is exclusive and absolute, meaning God not only sacrificed his Son, he sacrificed his one and only Son. Without…

“Study hard and you’ll do well”. I believed this principle up until law school. After that, it seemed how hard I had studied had no bearing on how well I  did. The courses I studied the least for I did the best in, and vice versa. Sometimes life feels like that.  We can think we…

Today, I am reminded that, truly, I am no better than anyone else. The idea that because I am apparently being “more Christ-like” in a given relationship, therefore I am better and God validates me more, is completely erroneous and deceitful pride. The more I live, the more I realize that being more spiritually mature…

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1: 20). It occurred to me the other day how foolish it is of me to pray about the things God has already promised. When I…

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2: 20 Crucifixion of the self is probably the most painful thing to go…

I’m realizing how deeply self-righteous I am. Self-righteousness comes in many forms, maybe most obviously in the form of judging others. Funny how we tend to judge others on the very thing we feel insecure about. I used to judge girls who wore a lot of makeup and spent excessively on clothes as insecure and…