We’re preaching through Romans at our church right now, and I’ll admit that it’s a challenge. I’m more a John sort of girl. I like an image to hang my hat on, a story to dive into. Romans is short on story and long on multisyllabic words. Unpacking Paul is like opening up a set … More Helpless Christianity * 10 Minute Devotional
I like to joke that most things in life can be explained by scenes from either The Office (the American version, of course) or The West Wing. Take this scene from The Office, for example, where Holly Flax tries to explain time theft to her officemates. That, to the company, taking extra time at the water cooler … More Don’t Give Away the Time (Soul Space Thursday)
An old Wheaton acquaintance of mine, Brett McCracken, created this great graphic. I came across it on Facebook last week and it stopped me in my tracks. You guys, yes. It seems so obvious – build everything on Scripture, learn from our local church and the great church tradition, spend time in nature, read books (actual, … More First Things First * 10 Minute Devotional
I heard Andrew Peterson perform a few weeks ago. The guy’s profound and thoughtful, and I ended up scribbling a bunch of notes on the back of a pew envelope because I wanted to remember all his nuggets of wisdom. He spoke of a season of suffering that he railed against at first. No one … More The Shape of Things * 10 Minute Devotional
My cousins host this podcast that I love. It’s one part relationship discussion, one part relationship research, and probably three parts laughing like the guys from Car Talk. (Has there ever been a better radio laugh than that? I submit that there has not. Discuss.) I look forward to it every week. I don’t always agree with … More Featured on Two Peas in a Podcast
If you haven’t seen the movie Hacksaw Ridge, it’s pretty great. Lots of gore (it’s a WWII film about one of its most deadly battles), but also a really compelling story of faith. The film got me thinking about the damage a sniper can do. In war, a sniper can take out soldiers from a … More A Sniper-free Zone * 10 Minute Devotional
There are a few things in life I’m really good at doing. I can bake a mean gluten-free cupcake. I know how to tell a story. I can almost always hold the attention of a group of kids (in part because I don’t have any problems acting ridiculous…). But waiting? I am bad at waiting. Like, super bad. Terrible, … More Grace for In-Between Times * 10 Minute Devotional
Today is day two of Vacation Bible School at our church. Lots of kiddos, lots of energy, lots of fun. The first year I volunteered at VBS was at a church up near Los Angeles. I was a young seminary intern who had driven across the country from New Jersey. The church children’s director assigned … More The Storytelling God * 10 Minute Devotional
If I could have a conversation with myself ten years ago, this is what I’d say. 1. Following fashion trends is overrated You’ll think those flared jeans are dorky in five years anyway. Stick to the classics, have some fun with your wardrobe, and don’t worry as much about keeping up with the fads. Save … More 10 Things I’d Tell My 20-Something Self
Back in my college days I trained for a marathon. The day before the big race, I was nervous as all-get-out. Would I make it to the starting line on time in the crazy early-morning Chicago traffic? Would I embarrass myself by flaming out at mile twenty? Would I even be able to finish? One of … More A People Prepared * 10 Minute Devotional
Courtney Ellis 