GraceNotes
Living in the Light of Light
Let the Light infuse your life. Like most modern technology, my phone contains features to make my life more convenient. One of those handy features is adaptive brightness. My phone automatically senses the ambient light around it and adjusts the screen’s brightness to match. This unsung feature spares my eyes from encountering blinding light in…
Read MoreStrengthened by Hardship
This week marks the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Regardless of how one views him politically, it is impossible not to recognize that everything his political opponents did to try to derail his run for office only seemed to make him stronger. From the former president being tried by Congress as a private citizen, to…
Read MoreA Decade of God’s Grace
This past weekend, we celebrated GraceWay’s 10-year anniversary, reminiscing over God’s abundant provision over the last decade. One of my best friends first invited me to GraceWay in June 2015 after meeting Pastor Brad on Capitol Hill. We had both just graduated college and were interning in DC for the summer. I’ll never forget that…
Read MoreSatisfied
Each year I go through the same exercise. I look back over the course of the previous year and think about the highlights and lowlights: the fun times with family and friends; the stressful and overwhelming times; the goals I accomplished; the goals I failed to meet; the answered prayers; the unanswered prayers, and so…
Read MorePronouns Matter
Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity…
Read MoreChristmas Countdown
Watch for Christ’s Coming All right, all right, I’ll admit it: I talk to my TV. Yes, I know the characters can’t hear me. Yes, I know it’s pointless. But sometimes I can’t help but gasp in disbelief or comment when a character misses something that’s so painfully obvious from my comfortable point of view…
Read MoreOil and Water
We’ve all heard the expression, “oil and water don’t mix.” Most of us have probably seen, at some point, oil floating on the surface of water, perhaps in an elementary school science experiment or on images of horrific oil spills on the earth’s oceans. It is true that the density of oil and water are…
Read MoreFailure Isn’t Final: The True Story Behind ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Hands down, the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my top five favorite films. Featuring the iconic Jimmy Stewart, the movie portrays the main character George Bailey who runs Bailey Brothers Building and Loan. After his Uncle Billy loses an $8,000 deposit on Christmas Eve of 1945, George realizes criminal charges are…
Read MoreDon’t Empty Your Chest to Fill Your Stomach
There once was a mighty man. The mightiest man who ever lived, and he performed great deeds. While he was obedient to God, he was unstoppable. Once, he singlehandedly defeated an entire army. However, his strength and virtue did not satisfy him. His flesh hungered for and desired something else. His first step was to compromise his virtue. He pursued…
Read MoreSeeing God in our First-Person Story
We love stories. I personally love books and the imagination and careful thought that goes into a well-crafted story. Stories are told differently depending on who is telling the story. In first person, a story is told from the point of view of one character. We hear his or her thoughts only. In third person, a story…
Read MoreLeft, Right, Straight
Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” II Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought…
Read MoreGreat News! (If You Can Understand It)
“For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”. (Hebrews 4:12) Imagine this: you are a seeker. You go to church…
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