Sharing and Seeing by the Spirit

I feel very blessed to have many women in my life who have walked alongside me in my faith throughout the years. Women like my mom, my worship team “aunties,” Sunday school teachers, mentors in college, and mentors in my current ministry organization (informally or formally) have encouraged me and loved me in highs and lows. In this current season, I am especially thankful for Sam.

Barbara Arbo: The Woman of the Word (and Lots of Patience)

I did not know about dresses. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I wore a bra. And my memories of basic hygiene are vague. There stood before me a tall blond woman, her blue eyes lit with a joy I was still unfamiliar with. She was stunning! Her dress matched her earrings, both swirling in rich turquoise and fuchsia. And she wore lipstick. I wore an old T-shirt that smelled like yesterday’s ashtray…

Barriers and Resources

When we think of investing in the lives of others as God has commanded us, so many barriers can quickly pop into our minds! Perhaps the common phrases “full,” “not much margin,” or “tired” come to mind. Sadly, I must admit: I have used these terms more than once lately to describe my own life. Or maybe it’s not the resource of time that you feel is in short supply; perhaps you feel that you don’t have much emotional margin due to difficulties in your own life … perhaps you feel like you aren’t a great “people person” … maybe finances are tight. Whether you feel in short supply in the area of time, finances, emotional margin, energy, or people skills, listen up: I have a word of encouragement for you!

Being Discipled

When I first met Barbara back in March of 2021, I was going through a particularly challenging time in my life. I had been dealing with a severe health issue for the past nine months, with no answers from doctors and no healing in sight. I had reached out to Barbara for help and guidance. Not only was my health struggling but my marriage was suffering. I found out

Both a Leader and a Friend

I was an awkward 15-year-old when I first joined my new church’s youth group. We had been going to the church for a while but hadn’t gotten around to checking out the student activities until then. I remember feeling incredibly nervous and shy around all the kids my own age. I used to get anxious when trying to get to know new people and find things to talk about, so I didn’t think it was going to go very smoothly.

After wandering around for a while