Archives

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.
Read More

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…
Read More

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.…
Read More

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…
Read More

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…
Read More
EnJOYing Election Season: Cultivating Joy in the Chaos

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…
Read More

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…
Read More

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…
Read More

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…
Read More

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…
Read More

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…
Read More

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…
Read More

Naaman

Have you ever thought, “God, You want ME to do THAT?!  I mean seriously, God isn’t there something bigger, greater, better for me to do?  You really mean for those other people to do that, not me.  I’m in management.”  How often have you walked away from an opportunity God has placed before you because…
Read More

Perfection…My Enemy

Francesca Battistelli has a song entitled Free to be Me in which a portion of the chorus says, “Perfection is my enemy.”  Oh how true it is that perfection is my enemy.  I convince myself that perfection is good.  Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for…
Read More

Good Friday…

Today is the day we Christians are to remember Jesus’ death.  Just typing those words makes my heart sink.  My sinful self would prefer to skip the death part, skip the pain and suffering, and move on to the glorious resurrection.  Isn’t that how we go about life?  God bless me, but don’t force me…
Read More

That Day

Here is a poem I wrote dated 6-20-2002 That Day You cried for me that day. You cried for my waywardness. You cried for my pain. You thought of me and You cried. You prayed for me that day. You prayed for strength. You prayed against temptation. You thought of me and You prayed. You…
Read More

Identifying with Jonah

So, “Jonah was a prophet, ooo-ooo, but he really never got it, sad but true, if you watch him you can spot it, doodlie do, he did not get the point.”  So if you know Veggie Tales and you have seen their movie Jonah, you know the song I just quoted.  However, I often find…
Read More

Freedom in Christ…

So a sweet friend of mine posted on her facebook page the following question: Are you Free in Jesus Christ? If you are – how did you get there? If not – why are you not there? Here is an expanded version of my answer to my sweet friend.  By the way, I LOVE it…
Read More

The Budding Staff…

I already mentioned about Israel’s rebellion in Numbers 16.  When three men raised up a rebellion against God’s leaders.  Not only did God allow the earth to swallow them alive, but 250 more were killed with fire from heaven.  Then the next day 14,700 people died from a plague when they accused Moses and Aaron…
Read More

You did it…AGAIN.

So my seven year old has a new mantra…”I hate sin and I wish I never sinned.”  I try to assure her that I feel the same way, but God continues to forgive.  Isn’t that amazing?  That even though we mess up over and over.  Many times in the exact same way, He forgives us!!!…
Read More

Rebellion, Not again…

So why am I thinking about rebellion?  Those pesky stiff-necked Israelites did it again…Not long before Miriam and Aaron were speaking out against their brother, Moses.  The Israelites have already accused Moses for bringing them to the desert to die or not feeding them the right food or there is no water…Now in Numbers 16,…
Read More

Humility and Moses…Humility and ME?!

Numbers 12:3 “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Seriously?  Wait he was hidden as an infant, but he was raised in the royal household.  I highly doubt humility was taught there.  However, I have to wonder, he was a Hebrew being raised in…
Read More