This morning, I was reading the second half of Matthew 10 (which is a gem of a passage). One of the verses that stood out to me is a well-known metaphor: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet…
Boundaries vs. Walls
As we enter the new year, I see a lot of New Year’s resolutions going by on my social media pages. Some are funny or interesting; others, you just hope it will last beyond January 5th. Within many of these…
Top Posts on Anne’s Travels in 2023!
It’s time for the annual round-up of the top-performing pages on Anne’s Travels in 2023! I’m very happy with the diversity of popular posts this year, though several of the long-standing oft-visited pages have sunk lower in the list this…
10 Practical Ways to Grow in Favor with God and Man
‘Tis the season for the beginning of the book of Luke. It’s a beautiful story of the birth of Christ. Most churches end the story with the last verse of Luke 2: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and…
To Boycott or not to Boycott?
It’s a fairly typical response today, whenever someone doesn’t like what some government or company has done, for people to call for a boycott. Movie content. Governments at war. Bathroom rules. An unpopular change in policy. I could go on…
Do Not Be Afraid of Scorn
I ran across a really cool verse in Isaiah this morning: Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. Isaiah…
Practical Ways to Refresh and Encourage Others
This morning, the verse that popped up in my Bible app was “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25). Or perhaps a more literal translation, “The liberal soul shall be made fat; And…
Valuing Obedience
As I was biking down a road last week – one lined by autumn-colored trees and a nice, wide shoulder specifically designed for bicycles – my thoughts turned to obeying God. Not for any specific reason but just because my…
Human Yet Full of Power
It can be tempting to believe that our power in prayer and a relationship with God aren’t up to snuff with those we hear give testimonies of God’s goodness. We don’t see the answer immediately, so we put ourselves in…
Worshiping as Warfare
In Mark 12: 30, Jesus says we should “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This encompasses much more than just bringing an…