The Secret to a Beautiful and Not Bitter Wait
We know waiting is a part of life, but it doesn’t stop us from getting a bit cross when things don’t happen soon enough.
Why can’t God just snap His fingers and make the thing happen for us?
Entries by Jess McDonald Ragg
Learning Courage in the Face of Suffering
This ANZAC Day, I reflect on a story that’s woven into my own family’s history. Like all families, we too carry history of personal stories and experiences of those harrowing times.
Are We Over-Spiritualising Our Love Lives?
In Bible College (or “Bridal College” as it’s also known), I was asked out on a date by a guy whom I had clearly stuck in the friend-zone list. But my friends encouraged us to be together because we were “so perfect for one another”. And he seemed to be everywhere I happened to be—surely this was a “sign” from God.
When You Think It’s God Speaking, But It’s Actually Your Inner Critic
A few years back, it became apparent that I had turned God into Simon Cowell. The realisation came while I was in a class on spiritual formation.
Red Flags You Should Never Ignore
I was dating the “edgy Christian guy” who played guitar in the worship team and wore cool shoes. He also exhibited small but worrying behaviours at times, but I figured I would be able to fix them.
Want to Grow Deeper in God? Eat, Drink, Rest
Resolutions don’t need to be earth-shattering, amazing, or even drastic “New Year, New Me” endeavours, which often can be insurmountable.
Finding My Way Out of a Painful Marriage
We were a picture-perfect Christian couple. We married in a beautiful ceremony—the climax of the fairy tale all Christian girls long for.
Only it wasn’t a Christian fairy tale.
Finding Peace When God Doesn’t Answer Your Whys
I was over the moon when I saw those two lines on the pregnancy test. However, during the first scan at about the eight-week mark, it was immediately obvious something was wrong.
Have We Missed the Point of the Gospel?
Our assignment was: practicing actual street evangelism. If you’re as introverted as I was, just thinking about this would give you a case of the cold sweats.