Category: Gems About Jesus

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    Celebrating Reprint Rights

    Hello, tender friends! Ok, maybe celebrating reprint rights sounds odd. I mean, our country just turned 250 years old. That’s obviously a bigger deal. Happy birthday, America! I’m so grateful for everyone who yelled “no taxation without representation” so many years ago. But I’m celebrating reprint rights because this is a first for me. And…

  • The Power of Prioritizing God Over Fear

    Hello, tender friends! I really enjoy being alive, even on rough days. I remember vibing with Henry Fleming when reading The Red Badge of Courage my freshman year of high school. Of course he doesn’t want to die! I thought. I wouldn’t either! When people talk about mortal bravery, I tend to feel sad that…

  • Unsexy Spiritual Fruits

    Hello, tender friends! This weekend, the Lord brought to mind a word that I received years ago. Its hits way different at 40 than it did at 29. When I was 29, I was at a Bible study at the home of dear friends, Mike and Lisa. Anthony and I were dating, and people were…

  • How God Met Me on the Basketball Court

    Hello, tender friends! Some sounds are nostalgic, like shoes squeaking on a basketball court and the rapid, steady thud of the ball bouncing. Some memories are nostalgic, like my dad coaching me through layup after layup and whip-fast ball handling strategy in our driveway as a kid. Basketball became my preferred sport by the time…

  • Happy Resurrection Day or Happy Easter?

    Hello, tender friends! I forgot that this Sunday was Easter when laying out the timeline for the next skincare posts, so I’ll return to those next week. This is on my mind right now: Do you greet people on Easter by saying “Happy Easter” or “Happy Resurrection Day?” Even though I’ve been aware of the…

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    Why I’m Bearcrawling Every Day

    Hello, tender friends! What if 30 seconds could regulate you when you’re stressed about work, or you’re worried about your kids, or you just had a fight with your spouse? Well, it can. I had a bad day last week, and I kept bear crawling throughout the day, intuitively knowing it would make me feel…

  • Admitting I’d Rather Stay Mad Than Forgive

    Hello, tender friends! Last week, I wrote this in my prayer journal: “Lord, I know you say to forgive 70 x 7 times. But I’d rather stay mad at Britney (name has been changed even though the real person doesn’t follow this blog) than forgive her.” I disliked Britney from the moment I met her,…

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    3 Things I’m Leaving in 2025

    Hello, tender friends! I hope you’re faring well if you’ve been hit by this storm! It has been wild in Virginia, and this little guy hasn’t been to school since January 23 because the schools have been closed. I put the Christmas tree away a few weeks ago, right around the New Year, and I’ve…

  • In Need of a Warrior King

    Hello, tender friends! I’ve been thinking a lot about how the Jews expected Jesus to be a warrior king that would liberate them from the Romans. But Jesus took a different approach, leaving many Jews disappointed. I get that disappointment. The Old Testament is bloody and sometimes hard to read, but it can also be…

  • Prayers for the New Year

    Hello, tender friends! This is the prayer that came to me on the night of New Year’s Eve. This was just before falling asleep at 8:30 pm after a cup of chamomile tea, because that’s how I party on New Year’s. Here it is: May the plans of the enemy on your life be cancelled.…