Today at work, I had an incredibly anxious day. Nothing bad or abnormal happened. I woke up, got dressed, clocked in, and already felt on edge. To my co-workers, I most likely appeared normal at my desk. I worked on my assignments, ate lunch, listened to my playlist, and went to my meetings. I doubt many of them that pass by my desk every day know I have about one anxious day a week. If anxiety looks so human though, what else does it look like?

The first few days of Holy Week have a weird in-between quality. We just celebrated Palm Sunday, when we remember the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna!” The drumbeat of Christ’s Passion has begun, far away but insistent, signaling the momentous events to come. We can hear it getting closer, but it’s not upon us yet.

This excerpt is taken from the January–March 2021 edition of Today’s Light. 

My grandmother (who we lovingly called Mema) used to say, “There is a time for everything—a season for every stage—an ending for every beginning.” It reminds me of these words from Ecclesiastes 3:

This is an adapted excerpt from Take Heart: God's Comfort for Anxious Thoughts by Lindsay Hausch.

A daily rhythm of time in God’s Word and in prayer is a way to abide in God. As we do these things, He rearranges our hearts and aligns them with His. This is a way to soften and prepare for the storms that test our hearts and our faith. For me, there are days when this happens over coffee at the breakfast table with kids chomping down their bananas, chatting and clambering for my attention. Sometimes, this is all that my season of life can accommodate, and so I take what I can get. I’ve learned that waiting for the “best” time for daily devotions means they don’t happen.

Who is this God who allows suffering, loss, and pain? Why did He let you be tossed into the miry pit of misery anyway? If that is how God works, why would you want to have anything to do with Him? For one important reason: in this hurting and broken world, there is no one else who can lift you out and bring you through.

“You can’t be like everybody else. You’ll have to work twice as hard for half as much.”

This blog post is adapted from Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles by Rev. Christopher Kennedy.

I’m a pretty active and avid social media user. I’m not a part of the generation that has grown up with social media all around, but I did get my first email account when I was 12. I used it to message my cousins and other close friends before I was allowed to get a Facebook account. I know the power of social media. I’ve seen it used for good as a means to fund a child’s dream or help a family down on its luck. I’ve seen communities form and friendships flourish. But I’ve also seen it create rifts. With such a powerful tool, sin enters. What is good can also sour.

We Christians know that when we witness to Christ’s resurrection and salvation, we do so with the help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we need to be aware that our social media use affects our witness. Here are three tips for making sure your social media posts are used for God’s glory.

Today, we turn to The Christian Year of Grace for answers to questions about the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord.