Hard Things of Faith

My bible study left me without words tonight.  1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 is a well-quoted verse of scripture. So often though we can quote this verse and have very little understanding of what it means or what Love really looks like.  How many times have we said "I love you", be it to a friend, family member or spouse and then said something harsh or did something ugly? How many times have we seen Love distorted by sin? I am challenged by these words. I am left undone at the thought of how I love and how I am loved.  Will you be left undone as well? Love is Patient : Even when you feel like forcefully expressing yourself.  Love bears pain, or trials without complaint showing forbearance under provocation or strain and is steadfast despite opposition, difficulty or adversity. Love is Kind : Even when you want to retaliate physically or tear down another with your words.  Love is sympathetic, considerate, gentle and agreeable. Love is not Arrogant : Even whe

I have a childhood friend who prayed his salvation prayer several years ago and today he has no more relationship with Christ than before he said his prayer.  I desperately want to believe that my friend knows Christ, but from his own lips, he does not.  He has been gracious in allowing me to share his story. He and I are part of a group of friends that have ebbed and flowed since we were kids.  A few years ago, our group of friends came back together and it quickly became evident that several of us had come to know Christ.  The natural thing was to share our faith with our friends. Our testimonies were well received. Our walk with Christ; well respected. After spending time with those of us walking with Christ this friend was hungry to know more of what we had found. He has known us for most of our lives and could see changes for the good and wanted to know more. We were happy to share all the Lord had done and was still doing in our lives.  We did all the things Christians do,

We are 1 in 4 women.  We are in your churches, we are in your bible studies and we are in your small groups.  There is nothing from the outside that would make you think abortion is our story.  That is… until it’s too late.  There are so many misconceptions about the woman who chose to terminate a pregnancy and why we have done it.  The things I have heard are horrendous.  Some people think that abortion is just a form of birth control, recently I heard it said that it is a matter of convenience. These are not even the most heinous things I have heard.  The name-calling and the judgment has been too much for me to sit with and not say anything about.  Some people are happy to lump us all into a stereotype that somehow makes us sound like we are less of a human being or unworthy of the love of Christ.   Every one of us has a story.  I wish I could share with you some of these horrific things I have heard, but these stories are not mine to tell.  Some of these women

Someone once told me to write about what I am afraid to write about.   I will tell you, I do not write this entry lightly and there is part of me that is fearful, but I cannot be silent.  This entry is about a subject that causes division around the world.  This entry is about the reaction to abortion.  This is not a debate on being pro-life or pro-choice, this is a conversation about how we respond or react to this subject and to people we disagree with.  This is also a conversation about how we show the love of Christ to those who have chosen to terminate a pregnancy. It is a vicious fight between pro-life and pro-choice people alike.  The one thing they have in common is the passion in which they fight.  This subject is hard and it’s emotional.  People are passionate about it on both sides.  My question is this, shouldn’t we as Christians be able to have the hard conversation and shouldn’t we be dignified in doing so? It is the position of every Christian I have m