We never know ahead of time if or when our efforts—our seeds—will bear fruit. Sometimes we see results right away, sometimes we never see tangible results (this side of Heaven), and sometimes results come but take longer than we expect…
Read MoreLast week I shared about how God has been giving me an extra strong reminder of the importance of relationship with Him. One of the reasons relationship with God is so vital is that it’s only through Him that we can find our true identity and purpose…
Read MoreIn recent weeks I’ve felt an extra strong impression from God about the importance of spending time with Him. One of the coolest things about this has been that, though I certainly have a role to play in setting aside time for God and developing our relationship, a big part of what He’s been revealing is how much He wants to spend time with me…
Read MoreI’m about to do something I’ve never done before. Tonight and all day tomorrow I will be teaching a four part series on purpose for my church’s ladies’ retreat.
I’ve been planning and preparing for this for months, and now the day has finally come! I am excited! And, although I feel pretty well prepared, I have to admit I feel a little nervous too…
Read MoreSarah explains what Christian meditation is, some reasons why we struggle with our thought life, and how meditating on God’s Word can help us grow in our relationship with God.
Read MoreI adore fall time. I love it so much, in fact, that I like to say in Heaven I’m going to have a house that is surrounded by a perpetually autumn landscape. Recently, I was joking with a friend about my future autumnal home, and this question arose: If fall, as wonderful as it is, is a season of loss and decay, could there actually be fall in Heaven?
Read MoreRecently, I had a song from a children’s film stuck in my head. It would pop into my mind at the most random times, and often I’d end up singing it out loud, to my husband’s chagrin. I was getting pretty tired of it, so, jokingly, I posted about it on social media and asked for advice on getting a song unstuck…
Read MoreSometimes when I’m confronted with challenges or hard decisions, I find my heart falling into a place of discouragement. Idling in the undercurrents of my mind are thoughts that go something like this: I need help, but there’s no one to help me. I need to figure this out, but I have no idea how…
Read MoreWith what appeared to be every ounce of his strength, the newborn reindeer calf pushed himself to a standing position. His spindly legs trembled and his entire fuzzy, brown body shook with the effort of remaining upright. Close behind, mama reindeer hovered protectively, keeping watch over her baby’s progress. The calf took one halting step forward—then tripped and tumbled to the ground...⠀
Read MoreI’ve been thinking about blood lately. No, I’ve haven’t been reading Dracula or watching horror films (which I NEVER do anyway—yuck!). But I have been reading The Power of Communion by Beni and Bill Johnson…
Read MoreLast month, I wrote a post in which I said that most setbacks are temporary. But what do we do when they just seem to go on and on?
Read MoreTo connect to the internet at my house, I use an old-fashioned Ethernet cable. One perk of this arrangement is that when I have a project that requires high concentration, such as writing a blog post, I can unplug the cord. Without access to the internet and its myriad distractions…
Read MoreYesterday morning, I was feeling worried about some things in my life. I opened my Bible and found myself reading in Luke where Jesus says, “Never worry about any of your needs…
Read MoreMy soul was thirsty, dry, and weak. I felt like I’d been put through a wringer and every last molecule of moisture had been wicked away.
For years I struggled with a chronic condition, and for years I ached for a breakthrough. After yet another disappointment, I was weary from the effort, the wondering, and the waiting…
Surprise! This word has rolling around in my heart and mind lately. I’ve been thinking about how God is God of surprises.
He surprised Pharaoh’s daughter with an infant in a basket made of papyrus.
He surprised Moses with a burning bush.
He surprised Samuel with a still small voice in the quiet of night...
Read MoreTryphena. Tryphosa. Persis. The names sound like something you’d find on the back of a bottle of amino acid supplements. But, actually, they’re the names of women who served the ancient Christian church…
Read MoreAs I shared last week, Fairbanks got a lot of snow in April. After having our warmest March on record (which resulted in the snow being almost completely gone by the end of March), it was a bit of a letdown to have such adverse weather in April. But, by the time I wrote my last post, which was less than a week after our last big snowfall, almost all the snow had (re)melted…
Read MoreI somehow have this subconscious perception of God as stoic, serious, and stern. Thankfully, God has done a lot over the years to change this perception, but sometimes I still find that when I’m in emotional pain or am struggling with a problem, I feel guilty. Deep down, I think I should be stronger and I fear God is displeased with me…
Read MoreLast spring, I visited a friend in California. I live in Alaska, so it took a couple plane rides and a few hours of driving to get to her. Before I arrived, I asked for her address and directions to her house. With my course clearly mapped out, I was able to find her house without a problem.
But what if, when I asked how to get her house, my friend had simply said, “It’s in California”?
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I used to write mean things about myself in my journal. This week, I decided to get really real and share a few actual quotes.
So (deep breath), here’s a peek at what my 15-year-old self was saying:
“Why am I like this…?”
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Hi! I'm Carina, and I'm here to help you connect with God and discover and share your unique gifts.
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