Misc
A Battle
A Battle By Angela Mackey They. People I trust and love People I hide from If THEY knew… If they knew what I thought If they realized what I have experienced THEY would call me names… Heretic. Foolish. Liar Progressive. Conservative. Wrong. Or would they? I do not know because I hide.
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Complexity
Complexity By Angela Mackey Yes or No? It isn’t that simple Yes or No? Nuance matters Yes or No? Is it really a dichotomy? Yes or No? Maybe both… Yes or No? There is so much more Yes or No? Can’t there be shades? Greys and beiges maybe even…
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Culpable?
Culpable? by Angela Mackey It happened before A leaving, a void, a rift I see it. How it happened. Where we have been. Will they listen? Decisions tabled Waiting, flailing, languishing I see it. The coming storm. Will they listen? Do I dare? Bitterness whispers Tearing, ripping, wounding I see it. The anger roiling.…
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Will the Dawn Bring Light?
Will the Dawn Bring Light? By Angela Mackey What violence done? What beauty trampled? …in the darkness …repeated in the dark Hope had bloomed But darkness brought violence Night snuffed the light Would day return? What would be left shame? destruction? Would the light make them see? Could they see …the violence? …the brokenness? …the…
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Is It Just Noise?
Is it Just Noise? by Angela Mackey Go home! Jezebel! Heretic! False Teacher! Liberal! Conservative! Progressive! Fundamentalist! Words echo through glowing screens. Communication that bites and stings and clings. When I express my thoughts will flesh and blood echo the world of glowing screens? Will I be greeted…
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EnJOYing Election Season: Cultivating Joy in the Chaos
“Evangelicals for Harris” are all CHINOS — Christians In Name Only. God is not fooled. Neither should we be fooled. My Social Media feeds are full of vitriol…from both sides of the political divide. “How can any Christian vote for a convicted criminal, rapist, insurrectionist, etc.” And it grieves me. The Bible says that all…
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Art and Beauty: How to Embrace Beauty to Change Culture
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way… things I had no words for.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe Sometimes we forget that God created beauty. At least we evangelicals who value utilitarianism above beauty and art do. We forget that God is the original artist. He paints on canvases…
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A Reason to Go to Church: God’s Presence and Joy
“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much.” Claudio, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare God does something special when His people come together as a congregation. When we sing, take communion, baptize people, listen to the preaching of God’s Word, His presence comes to us in a special…
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Joy and Presence
Just a note…I have missed sharing this space with you all. So through prayer and planning, my goal is to post here twice a month. I hope you are blessed. Where Joy is Found You [the LORD] reveal the path of life to me;in your presence is abundant joy;at your right hand are eternal pleasures. Psalm…
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Obedience, Running, and Calling
“So don’t throw away your confidence, which has great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised…But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.” Hebrews 10:35-36 and 39 CSB I’ve been silent for…
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A Season of Silence: Experiencing God’s Peace
“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.” -William Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing Words have been hard for me lately. Silence is easier. I wasn’t so full of joy I could not share like Claudio in the above quote. The big emotions – all of…
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What to Think: How to Boss Around Your Mind
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 ESV God cares about what we think. In fact, He gives us a list of the types…
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Can You Help Me?
I’m working on creating an e-book. Which topic appeals to you the most? — Angela Mackey (@Rethinkingme) October 19, 2017
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Feeble Offerings: Seeing God’s Glory in the Mundane
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV Jochebed was a slave – a slave under Pharaoh. This Pharaoh noticed that the Hebrews – Jochebed’s people – were becoming too numerous. So he ordered that all Hebrew…
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Defiance: How to Fight for Joy
Today I almost cried as I read a book aloud to my kids. The scene wasn’t poignant. No one lay dying nor was anyone confessing unrequited love. Still the darkness pressed in around my heart. The heaviness of life, friends fighting cancer, the ton of feathers falling on my shoulders, and my ongoing battle to…
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Silent Grief: Pregnancy Loss, Grieving, and Hope
It still hurts and I can’t explain it away. There are these babies who crawled into my heart, but died in my womb. And a part of my heart still beats for them 13 years later. Even thought I only held them in my body a short time, I began the process of planning their…
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Letting Go to Grow: the Startling Secret to Contentment
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 ESV “God, I don’t understand why Sandra has a beautiful green leaf and I am stuck in this hard shell,” Lucille prayed. “We were seeds…
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Rest and Watching: How to See God Move in Life’s Challenges
I [Jesus] have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 ESV Life’s challenges. Physical injury. Plumbing leak. Saying good-bye to some really dear friends. Transition in my husband’s office. At times emotions…
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Broken and Brave: Standing Up Afraid
“You have such a good attitude about your foot,” said a friend as we discussed my crutches. She had no idea my struggle only the day before. I stood on one foot in front of my bathroom mirror as I attempted to apply eye-liner with my crutches tucked under my armpits . “Everything is harder…
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Choosing Your Portion: How to Trust God with Your Life
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Psalm 16:5 ESV A portion, a meal, sustenance, what fills our bellies, and nourishes our bones. This psalmist says that he chooses the LORD to feast upon, to sustain him through all his days. I wonder, what is my chosen portion? What…
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Remembering the Fallen
Today we remember. We remember those who gave their lives for our country. We remember men and women who volunteered or were drafted to serve. People who gave their lives in service of their country. How can we as a country say thank you to those who gave their lives? To their family left incomplete? We…
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