A Letter to My Over-Churched Sister

So I've been carrying this weight around. Jesus told me to empty my pockets the other day and I didn't realize what he was talking about.

Religion rocks, my dear, I've come to find out.

You see, I grew up in a Christian home. Then, Jesus saved me. So if the Devil can't get me with drugs or abuse, he'll get me with rules and regulations until I'm weighed down, unable to move.

"Don't you dare lead on a man, young lady."

"Be a submissive woman."

"Dress appropriately."

"Christian women are quiet."

"Christian women blah blah blah."

Actually, my western-Christian-world view friend, Christian women LOVE Jesus. That's it. Those many sermons I've heard over the years on godly femininity evoke wisdom, but they are not my identity or salvation--no matter how many times I've read Proverbs 31.

I realized I was putting all my bets on a lifestyle instead of a Savior when God brought about circumstances that seemed "out of the box". In fact, according to my Christian-culture standards, Ruth still would have NO BUSINESS on that threshing floor with Boaz. I won't ever claim to have the answer to every particular situation (God knows, ask Him!), but I can only cry out and ask that Jesus would come and have full-reign over our hearts and that our spirits would be sensitive to His.

"Jesus, have your way--in or out of the box!"

"I'm in love with God and God's in love with me. This is who I am and this is who I'll be, and that settles it...COMPLETELY."

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Tucker's Birth Story

Tucker Jason Rhys was born on October 30th, 2023 at 3:18pm in the afternoon though I say his birth story started four months earlier in June. In June we were packing up our family and lives in Africa to come back to America for a year. With two small kids and me being six month pregnant, Steven and I still thought it would be worth the effort to stop in Paris for a layover and do a couple Frenchy things like eat a croissant and see the Eiffel Tower. It’s a “perk” of the job I tell myself—every flight path inevitably goes through Europe. We booked tickets that took us through Paris and then onto America. After booking everything we hit a snag—Farrah’s passport was set to expire in September and apparently France requires three months of validity left on a US passport before giving a visa to visit their country. She only had two months left before she needed to renew hers. (I'm getting to the birth, I promise…) Up until that last week on our island as we were packing our bags ...

Alabaster Flask

What a privilege to have something so valuable to my heart that its very surrender is seen as the utmost form of worship. Abraham had Isaac. Hannah had her son. The sinful woman had the alabaster flask. The Father had the Son, and the Son had His very life. How grateful am I to have been given something so dear, very dear, to my heart that I may surrender it as worship to God. Maybe a few tears as well. "Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, 'Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.' But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, 'Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.'"--Matthew 26:6-10

Simplicity and Sufficiency

I wrote this in a journal entry dated November 26th, 2010. I feel it's a good reminder, and I pray God would bring me back to this simplicity: “Learning, Learning that Christ is sufficient in Himself. If I never get a degree, get a job, get a husband. If I never see the next sunrise, Christ at this very moment will suffice. I know this full-well by His overwhelming patience with me. To teach me now to trust, and walk, and cry with Him. My hip is torn from the socket. I want to deliver all limbs to submission. The greatest being my own arm that has held tightly to my own heart. Help me to understand what you are doing, Lord. I cry out for understanding...I believe your word has promised hope through Christ (Romans 4). It’s awesome! I long for that to be my only boast (Galatians 6:18)" "And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness."--Psalm 17:15

Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it

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