Roses of Grace

Are you a reader?  Maybe you've asked yourself that question before. Some people naturally take to words, and fall in love with stories and characters. It becomes a lifelong love for them, one that doesn't go away.  Some people don't. Reading doesn't interest them, and it's difficult—they do it when they're required to, for schoolwork, but beyond that? No books.  Obviously, the first kind of person will be more likely to agree with this article.  But, even for people who don't like it, reading fiction is a valuable exercise that can benefit our minds, hearts, and even souls.  And it's valuable for everybody.   Empathy When you read, you're experiencing a story through someone else's eyes.  When was the last time you read a book about yourself? That had you as the main character?  Unless you're reading a Choose Your Own Adventure novel, or perhaps your journal, I'd bet that the answer is never.  Protagonists of the books we read are diffe...

People.  Can't live without 'em. Sometimes, though, it's pretty hard to live with them, especially if you (like me) are an introvert as well as not being the most skilled socialite.  Even if you're the most social person in the world, though, people can be tough sometimes. They sin, they gossip, they're selfish—in short, they're just plain old hard to deal with. This includes the church. The reality is that Christians aren't perfect, and can be just as vindictive and petty as the next person. Satan tempts us, and sadly, we often fall for it. Faced with the humanity of the church, it's tempting to withdraw. To stop attending church services, or at least stop hanging out after them, and avoid as much contact with your fellow church members as possible.  To do this cuts you off from a vital aspect of the Christian walk.  Our church community is given to us as a blessing. God has placed us in this place at this time with these people for a reason—and thoug...

My first bonus post from the foreign land of Paraguay actually isn't about Paraguay at all—it's about a cat.  There are a lot of cats here. My friend has been counting all the strays that we come across on walks and in the car, and so far the number is 45. By the end of the summer, I expect it to be over a hundred.  They aren't just strays, either; any households have cats or dogs of their own. Edy's aunt and uncle have two and a half cats in their house—an indoor cat named Streaky, an outdoor cat named Samsung, and Samsung's mom who hangs around the house sometimes. Her name is Scrawny, since, well, she didn't eat too well when she was a stray.  Soon after we arrived in Paraguay, Samsung had caught a cold from Scrawny. And for some reason, the cold gave him an eye infection. Don't ask me how that works—I am by no means a veterinarian, and know next to nothing about animals—but his eye looked pretty bad.  Well, we took him to the vet and got him some eye dro...

With the changing seasons comes summer. With summer comes vacation. With vacation comes a flood of gorgeous pictures of everyone having a wonderful time.  And with that flood of pictures comes a nasty medical condition specific to the modern day: FOMO.  Or, as most people call it, the fear of missing out.  FOMO isn't pleasant to experience, and I'd bet that most of us know what it feels like. To see a friend or acquaintance having a good time, and subconsciously wish that you were having that good time with them—it's not fun, is it?  The fear of missing out on fun experiences doesn't seem like much of a problem beyond the discomfort of it. It's like any other emotion: it comes and goes, and though you try to avoid it when you can, there's not really much you can—or should—do about it.  But the problem of FOMO goes deeper than just an annoying feeling.  Ultimately, it's a problem of dissatisfaction.  When we wish we were having an experience that we are...

Paraguay is a small country in South America. It's right below Brazil, and borders Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. Its capital is Asunción. It is landlocked, and has a population of roughly 7 million people. It's also where I'm going to be spending my summer. That's right, I'm going to Paraguay! I'm so excited for this opportunity—more details about it coming later—and, when you're reading this, I'll likely already be on my way to the airport. This will, of course, be a very new experience for me. I've never left the United States, and I've never flown on a plane except for a recreational flight once at the Outer Banks.  But God has given me this opportunity, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes of it!   Who are you going with? I'm going with one of my closest friends, named Edy Gardner, who I've known basically since birth. We're flying down together, and I can't wait to be able to grow together and make these memories! ...

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16   Christians have been given a mission, and that mission is to shine . Jesus has lit a light inside of us. A flame, burning with our love for him. And the brighter that flame burns, the better—because more people will see the light, and the light will spread.  In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus makes the comparison between his followers and light. He calls us "the light of the world," comparing us with a lamp that someone lights to illuminate the house. As Christians, we all want to shine out like the lamp Jesus calls us.  But it's hard to show our true love for Christ when it feels like the world is against us.  Why don...

"But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with we curse people who are made in the likeness of God."  - James 3:8-9     Every human being has speech.  It's one thing that defines us. Our words show who we are, revealing our true nature—from our heart we speak, and the words we say from the heart reflect the state of it.  Our words have power. A word of encouragement can brighten a person's day, and a criticism or insult can destroy self-esteem or joy, and even pressure others into sinning. Words have more powerful than any dragon of myth ever did; for who could ever hear of the dragons if not for the words we use to speak about them?  And, like the dragons, words are very difficult to tame.  Have you ever said something, a joke, that you immediately wish you could take back? Have you said something that causes another person to stumble, or to hurt? Have you listened ...