Spiritual Growth

Think dying to self is only for married people? Think again.

I’ve always been a bit of a scaredy-cat. But lately, fear seems to be getting to me more than usual. It’s a little bit like being a hypochondriac — someone who constantly worries that they have a life-threatening medical condition; when something goes …

When I was in my 20s, I was obsessed with the fear that I was not actually saved — that my so-called “faith” was nothing but an elaborate web of self-deception that would end in eternal damnation. I wasn’t sure what to do to rescue myself, but leaders …

A couple of weeks ago, a friend told me, “I’m failing at everything. My job isn’t what I hoped it would be. I feel alone and distant from my friends and family. I feel like I’ve failed.” At one point I asked him, “What if success isn’t the point?” Let’ …

I turned 40 recently. People tell me that I don’t look 40, and I certainly don’t feel 40. But … I’m 40 and I’m learning to embrace my story as it continues to unfold — with all of its twists and turns. To say that life has turned out a little differe …

I hated riding the bus when I was a kid. It wasn’t just that I barfed one of the many times I got carsick — it was being crowded in there with a bunch of sweaty kids, riding for 45 minutes, and hearing the elderly bus driver scream, “Jennicka!!” at thi …

It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy. —Unknown I recently saw that quote while browsing Facebook. I “liked” it immediately, but it’s been simmering inside of me since then, attempting to make its way into my hear …

My name is Michelle, and I recently stopped asking “Why?” Not just to anyone — specifically to God. Things really got intense for me at the end of last year, when I received an email from my then workplace, saying they weren’t renewing my contract. An …