This is my 100th blog post! I started this blog in May of 2023, which means I've written 100 blogs in just under a year. I consider that quite the accomplishment. I may not have a huge following, but I've grown a lot as a person, a Christian, and a writer, and I am pleased with what I've produced. I've decided to highlight some of my favorite passages from the past year. Links are provided if you want to go back and read the whole post:

I feel sick to my stomach over what has been going on lately.

What if the Christianity you’ve been taught your whole life was wrong?

Those three little words: I love you. Sometimes they’re tossed out casually as someone is rushing out the door. Sometimes they’re used as justification for abuse or maltreatment. Sometimes they’re empty, clearly not backed by actions. And sometimes… Sometimes they’re everything.

Anyone else have picky eaters in their house? My oldest has been a continual challenge. When he was around five, there were only about five things he would eat. Anything else would make him gag or we would have to fight over, and it just wasn’t worth it to me. I figured we could be patient in introducing new things little by little.

There's a new song out on the radio right now by Christian artist Danny Gokey. It's called, "Stay Strong." The first part of the chorus goes like this:

I possibly spend too much time on Facebook. Not much time in a row, but I do check it frequently throughout the day. It's the only social media venue I participate in. I use it not only to keep track of old friends but also to keep up on issues I care about. I follow at least four different immigration advocacy pages, as well as a few apologetics sites, a few churches, and a few of my favorite authors and inspirational speakers.

I have never understood the draw of escape rooms. They seem to be quite popular. I recently even saw Joanna Gaines post a photo of herself stuck in an escape room (she didn't look very happy about it, either). It's not my thing. I don't like the idea of being trapped. 

I've been thinking a lot lately about how the church grows.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

The gospel of Luke tells us Jesus started His ministry by entering the synagogue and reading from the scroll of the book of Isaiah. He read these words:

I had an "out of the mouth of babes" moment a couple of weeks ago. I was driving in the car with my six-year-old in the back seat. The song "Gonna Be Alright" by Ryan Ellis came on KLove. The chorus of the song says, "Everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be alright. You hold me in Your arms, until the storm is gone."