Allie Boman

Next time you find yourself awake in the dark hours, unable to sleep, consider walking through the steps of Philippians 4. If you finish that and still can’t sleep, get out of bed and copy down a Psalm or other Scripture. These steps are just examples of the many ways we can pursue a deeper relationship with God during sleeplessness, while he is healing you and making you whole.

Scripture confirms that people are made for relationships, that our lives are meant to be interconnected with others. If you are feeling all alone in this season of life, may these 8 verses encourage you.

If we want to know how to treat people like neighbors — even people very different from us — we can watch how our older brother Jesus did it. He didn’t really treat everyone “the same.” He met them where they were at and based his behavior on what they needed, not on what made him seem righteous in others’ eyes.

Believing in God as the Creator of the universe helps us understand why we are here, why the universe is as it is, and what our role is to play here. Loving the God who created our world can lead us to awe and wonder, generating curiosity about how the world works. 

The gospel — the story of God living a human life, giving up that life to defeat death, and rising up again as a human with a whole new kind of life — makes perfect sense out of foster parenting.

First off, in Christ, God’s love came alongside and inhabited our lives. He didn’t stand far off, at a safe distance, and attempt to fix the world’s problems with a zap of his miracle-working power. Rather, he choose to become human (John 1:14). Perhaps most surprising of all, when he picked out a human life for himself, he chose low social standing, poverty, and disdain (2 Corinthians 8:9; Isaiah 53:3).

What can this say to us about foster parenting?

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Nastco

God is present in all stages of life. This is sweetly evident as a child is being formed in the womb. Parents watch from the outside in amazement as carefully designed processes unfold. Besides the body, the child’s identity and uniqueness are also mysteriously being formed.

Sometimes, however, our wonder turns to worry. The technology that provides us a glimpse into our hidden child’s life also provides warning signs when there is a problem. 

Some parents have received news from doctors that their child is not likely to have a viable chance at life. A vital organ may not be developing properly. A chromosomal problem may indicate that the child’s quality of life would be unbearable. When one small problem leads to catastrophe, we realize that every earthly life is fragile.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Doble D.

What did Isaiah mean when he wrote those words: “wait upon the Lord”? What would it feel like to have eagles’ wings at a time like this?

To put it simply, it all boils down to where your power comes from. An eagle rises to great heights, but has no jet engine behind him. His body is designed to maximize the power of the air, and he soars on unseen currents with agility and ease.

Isaiah welcomes us to see ourselves as dependent creatures, designed to rely upon something unseen, something greater than ourselves.

Prayer is essential to the Christian life, but it can be difficult to build up a healthy prayer life. You may be feeling unprepared, insecure or just too busy to pray sometimes. How can we work to get started praying regularly, or even to re-energize a stagnant prayer life? 

We're all busy this time of year it seems, and the closer we get to the 25th, the busier things get. But our whole reason for celebrating is the birth of the Christ! That simple and crucial fact can be so easy for us to forget amidst the business. Below are some easy tips to help you and your family keep Jesus at the center of the Christmas season this year.

Tragedy is nothing new for God’s people. Many Bible events display both the darkness of this world and the goodness of God as he brings hope and healing in tragic circumstances.

Nehemiah’s response to hardship was both passionate and effective. As we observe the ways he dealt with national tragedy and personal pain, we can learn and grow in our own response to difficult times.

God created in us motivations, passions, pleasures, and thinking power that mirror him, showing that we are made in the image of God. There can only be one original, but something interesting happens a subject is painted again.

Easter 2020 will look pretty different for all of us. And while it is entirely valid to mourn the loss of time with our family, friends, and brother and sister in Christ, don't let those feelings overwhelm you! Christ is still risen, and there are still plenty of ways that we can celebrate that joyous fact in the midst of the Coronavirus. 

The coronavirus pandemic that is shaking the world is unprecedented. And no matter who you are, it's scary. What is a Christian to do to spread Christ's love and joy, when we ourselves are crippled with very real fears?