“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV) (bold mine) What do you think about when you try to think about pure things? As the daughter of a woman who loved – and was able to buy – very fine things, I tend to think about pure gold earrings (preferably in... Read more
When you happen to come across different word choices in different Bible translations, do you wonder, like I do, what’s the difference? And does that make you wonder, like it does for me, which word choice is “right”? Is there a choice that’s more “just”? Hmmm, is there a choice that’s “just right”? Let’s take the next step on our journey through Paul’s list of favorite things to think about to release anxiety – and think about these 2 very... Read more
If you’re like me, you’ve celebrated plenty of regular birthdays – the birthdays that acknowledge how old our physical bodies are, calendar year after calendar year. Sometimes it’s balloons and Barbie’s, cake and go-carts, dinner and dancing, or simply gifs on Facebook. And if you’re like me, you’ve also seen plenty of baptisms either in-person or across social. Whether it’s the gentle, Catholic-style water and oil on the forehead (like I grew up with) or a splashy full-immersion (like I’m... Read more
Within this series on Apostle Paul’s list of favorite things to think about instead of wallowing in your anxious thoughts, I’m including explorations of different words from a handful of different translations, when different English words are used. And here we are, with Paul’s Fave Thing #2, already giving us 2 different words to consider among 4 Bible translations: In the previous article, we looked at the word “noble” – used in the NIV and NKJV – and we saw... Read more
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV) So. The second “whatever” that Apostle Paul wants us to think about, in order to not be anxious about anything (remember from Phil 4:6, which I introduced in this article?), is something noble. Hmph. In the 21st century, when we no longer have... Read more
Have you ever read the Old Testament? I’m talking about the whole thing. Genesis 1:1 through Malachi 4:6. Yes, including all those lists of sons of sons of sons, plus all those amounts of sheep and bulls. I just read the Old Testament for the first time in my 58-year-long life. Curious about what that experience was like? Want to know my Number One Takeaway? Wondering how you might possibly do that, too? Well, buckle up. (It’s actually not that... Read more
In Chapter 4 of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he gives us basically an anti-anxiety list of things to think about. I’ll say up front that this is not medical advice, and if you need medical advice and care, please do see your healthcare professional. Yet, here’s what Paul places at the top of his Top 8 Favorite Things to Not Be Anxious: “And finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true… think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV) (ellipses... Read more
Remember that scene from “The Sound of Music,” when the children gather in Maria’s bedroom because they’re afraid of the thunderstorm outside? And she sings, “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens… these are a few of my favorite things”? Maria sings about a whole list of pleasant things for the children to think about “when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when [they’re] feeling sad.” Apostle Paul gives us a similar list of things for us to think... Read more
Sometimes I’m scrolling (I know, don’t judge me), and I see ads for “Armor of God phone case – Shop Now.” And for that brief, glimmering moment, I imagine myself with that armor-clad woman’s perfect flowy ponytail (I currently have very short hair), kneeling down in front of Christ with her fancy sword in hand, and I feel… epic. Then my yoga pants and T-shirt jolt me back to reality – sigh, it’s just a fantasy image on a phone... Read more
“I’m almost there!” I insisted breathlessly into my walkie-talkie. “Copy that, Coco. Be careful!” squawked back the line producer of the film production we were working on. Off in the distance, the tall, muscular man and the short, equally-muscular man were leaning in, and I was getting close enough to hear their yelling. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18a (NIV) “Please, God, get me there before the first punch... Read more
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