Let’s work on building that community. Let us recognize the importance and value of having others in our lives who can build us up, and who we can build up in return, and then let us be willing to put in the effort required to make that happen.
Author Archives: lstoyko
Moms in the Bible–Bathsheba
Our children can be such an encouragement to us in our struggles. They are our life’s work, after all. When we are journeying through difficult moments, sometimes all it takes is to look at them to find hope, to find joy, to find laughter.
Flipping the Switch
Do you ever feel like a switch gets flipped in your body that turns something off? That’s how I have felt the past few months. Something got flipped off. My body is tired, my thoughts are slower, and my creativity is dried up.
Moms in the Bible–Mary
With Christmas in less than a week, it is only fitting that this month’s Moms in the Bible episode focuses on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her life was changed in an instant, yet she handled it with such grace. Beginning with humble acceptance, the Lord brought her to a place of rejoicing at what he had invited her into. Allow her story to move you to a place of rejoicing at what God has invited you into as well.
Moms in the Bible–Hannah
Hannah’s story is a familiar story to us, especially for those of us who have wrestled with fertlity. Yet, while her story is similar to previous moms that we have studied there is one key difference–her relationship with God. Hannah learned to bring the Lord her anguish and despair and lean in to his sovereignty. Her story invites all of us to do the same.
Living in the And
Our lives are filled with, lived in, the “and”. Some of those we like. Sometimes though, our “ands” feel oppositional, as though they should not go together, yet in our lives they do. Grief AND joy. Hurt AND healing. Regret AND hope. We struggle to acknowledge both in our lives. It can be confusing. It can cause tension. Yet, both must be acknowledged to truly live.
Moms in the Bible–Naomi and Ruth
In Naomi and Ruth’s story, we see the power of God at work in our pain. He does not leave us to bear it alone but journeys with us in the heartache.
I Am Not Ashamed Of My Child
My son was not someone to be ashamed of. He was someone to be loved, encouraged and celebrated.
Moms in the Bible–Leah and Rachel
How much better to live in the pleasant places of God than in the throes of envy and competition. When we take refuge in God and establish him as Lord of our lives, everything changes. The bones that were rotting become strong and healthy.
Summer with Encanto–What Else Can I Do?
The question “What else can I do?” takes our children on a journey of discovery, of failure and success, of experimentation, of creativity and imagination, of mind work and heart work. What a wonderful question to teach our children!