6 Simple Commitments to Make in 2022
New Year’s resolutions. Some people make them, some people don’t. A few of us keep them, many of us break them by the end of the first week of January. Ah, such is life. Or is it?
Entries by Madeline Kalu
It’s Time to Talk About Racism in the Church
“There’s an African church in another part of town. Perhaps that would be better for your husband.”
That was what a lady said to me one Sunday as l was chatting with someone in the church courtyard before the morning service.
4 Lies That Keep Us From Spiritual Growth
These stumbling blocks are lies that l believed for a long time, which made me think that God wasn’t for me, and that contrary to what the Bible says, He didn’t love me very much, because l didn’t deserve it. Such thoughts held me captive and made me miserable.
5 Ways to Remember God’s Goodness in 2021
A few years ago, I started practicing these five ways to remember God’s goodness, and they have proved especially helpful in 2020 when the world as we knew it spun out of control, and made a huge difference in the way I responded to the circumstances around me.
As we begin 2021, a year with many unknown and uncertainties, I’d like to encourage you to give these five creative habits a try.
3 Prayers to Refresh Your Weary Soul
More than any other year, 2020 has been a year that has kept us on our toes. After 10 months of living the COVID-19 life, l for one have become weary.
If your soul, too, is feeling weary and downtrodden from all that’s been happening this year, l hope that the following three prayers will rejuvenate you.
Yes, God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle
I looked over at One-Ear, who was lying nearby, knocked out by the local anesthesia. Hot, salty tears began to form in my eyes and run down my cheeks, as the reality of saying goodbye to my loyal little companion of 19 years hit home.
Not this too, Lord.
Walking home afterward with my cat’s empty carrier in my limp hand was like trying to wade through fast-setting concrete. The trials and mental anguish l had endured in the previous 12 months—depressive episodes, burnout, and agoraphobia—weighed me down until l felt like l couldn’t take another step.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Heart This Season
I can’t believe that the holiday season is already upon us. It felt like just a few short months ago that l pulled down the mistletoe, swept up the last remaining pine needles, and boxed up my Christmas decorations.
3 Healthy Ways to Handle Conflict
A few Sundays ago, an acquaintance of mine from church pulled me aside before the morning service to talk to me about a weakness in my character. She thought that l was too occupied with accommodating other’s needs in church, that I neglected my own needs.
Does It Matter How I Worship God?
A couple years ago, a colleague of mine invited my friend and I to visit an African church. l settled in my seat at the beginning of the service, expecting a heartfelt but rather demure time of praise and worship, just like the kind of church services I grew up with in Australia.