This episode is an overview of the nature of the Trinity and why God as triune is a fundamental Christian doctrine! We look at the fights within the early church to defend Christ’s deity (including Athanasius’Â On the Incarnation)Â and how these fights were finalized in the Apostles and Nicene creeds. We then look at teachings like modalism, oneness and eternal subordination of the Son.
I did not know I was ill until my first daughter was born. A few days after her birth, my body broke out in a blistering rash. From the soles of my feet to chest, neck and hands, I was covered in hives and blisters. I laid on the couch in our duplex living room – it was 80 degrees in Lancaster County that September, and we had no air conditioning – soaking in sweat and too blistered to move. I struggled to care for my baby and deal with the itching. Desperate to distract myself, I took her for walks every day – not realizing that so much walking postpartum was unwise and unhealthy for a postpartum body.
Have you ever fasted? Maybe you’ve thought about fasting but weren’t sure where or how to start. Maybe you thought only “hyper spiritual” people fasted. But in Scripture, we see tangible examples of people fasting in all stages of life! Even Jesus – who had all the strength He needed for every task – fasted as an example for His disciples, and His statements about fasting were “when” not “if”!
I haven’t always lived this way, and I can’t honestly say I always live this way now. Daily I choose between the pressure of my ever-expanding lists and the quietness of the moment in front of me. I fully recognize I am one of many voices (most much more eloquent than I) talking about a slower, sweeter, Sabbath-based life. Indulge me being one more.
“Life is a series of seasons.” This phrase from Susan Yates, who I’ve had the privilege of befriending through an annual writing retreat remains in my mind each time I have to adjust the way we teach our kids. As homeschoolers we grasp the need for flexibility on an academic scale, but changing with the seasons applies to discipleship, too. Last fall we were about to welcome our third child into the family, were three months self employed, and were in the middle of the Covid pandemic. This fall is different and presents challenges of its own.
It’s that time again you, guys. Time for another Ask Anything theology episode! I low-key love these episodes so much… because I love anything that’s rapid fire and I can get through a lot at once! Which is probably saying a little bit about my personality – I feel you get more bang for your buck because you’re getting multiple topics in short, little snippets each episode. You feel me?Â
For the past five and a half years we’ve been actively teaching our kids (at the time of writing, ages almost 6, 4, and 1) to sit through church. When this is mentioned, I’m inevitably asked a series of questions:
“Do you not like Sunday school?”
“Don’t you want a break?”
“Why would you do that?”
“Aren’t you afraid of what people think about your kids staying in adult service?”
A few weeks ago I answered questions about hospitality on Instagram. The questions and my answers were not saved, so I am sharing some of what I said here in a blog post for permanent reference! The topic of hospitality is near and dear to my heart. I truly believe it is both a lost art and a gospel mandate; people are most comfortable opening up their hearts and lives in context of a home. Further, most Christians know they should share and live their faith in community, but because hospitality is not prioritized, this faith-sharing never actually happens.
My struggle with PPA after Ivan’s birth was much worse than it was with either of my girls. It came at night in waves. Just as I was about to go to sleep, I would have intrusive thoughts about Ivan suffocating. Or my girls running into the road. Of me falling down the stairs with the baby in my arms. I would wake up gasping and crying as Josh reached out to calm me, holding my head and praying me back to sleep.Â
In this long awaited episode – a transcription of my Discernment 101 classes – I break down some of the essential pieces for discerning through Christian content online, in books, and in conversations using Albert Mohler’s theological triage method and my own hacks for determining theological bias.