Page 3 – All The More: Collective Blog

Starting Your Day with the Sun

January 28, 2022 Jenny McCarty 3 min read

How do you start your mornings? Have you ever tried with song? With the ongoing pandemic and the winter months that can seem so bleak, a hymn of light, hope, and warmth is much needed. Charles Wesley wrote, “Christ whose glory fills the skies” as a morning hymn, and I have been singing it and reciting the words as a devotion in the mornings and on my drive to work. The words of this song, are a beautiful way to orient ourselves to Him and invite Him into our day: Verse 1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies, Christ the true, the only Light, Sun of Righteousness, arise, Triumph o’er the shades of night; Dayspring from on high, be near; Daystar, in my heart appear. Verse 2 Dark and cheerless is the morn Unaccompanied by Thee; Joyless is the day’s return Till Thy mercy’s beams I see; Till they inward […]

Grace in the Mom Grind

January 21, 2022 Rachel Guerrero 4 min read

As I looked around the days after Christmas, with all of the toys on the floor and mess everywhere, I thought, “I can’t handle this!” My kids were knee-deep in remote control cars, barbies, kid makeup, stuffed animals, and blocks. My four-year-old daughter was yelling at her two-year-old brother over touching her stuff, and he was hitting her in response. It felt like chaos. As a parent, and it seems like in particular a mom, you want to do everything perfectly. We hear from the world that YOU, the parent, are the one in charge of how successful, smart and well-rounded your child becomes. You need to get the best, most engaging, and __toys, but not TOO many toys or they won’t be able to focus. Moms need to spend as much time as possible playing with their kids and taking them to educational outings, but you better have a […]

Am I where I am supposed to be?

January 14, 2022 Claire Raabe 4 min read

“Let us not be women on our deathbeds who look back on our lives and think, ‘I spent every season of my life just trying to arrive in the next one.’” Emily Wilson New years have a tendency to stir in my heart a new uncertainty about the place I find myself. Or maybe the uncertainty is not what is new, but rather a new urgency to confront the parts of my life I am most unsure about. With every passing year, I ask myself a simple question that lacks a simple answer: “Am I where I am supposed to be?” I have asked myself this question countless times across countless aspects of my life. Am I where I am supposed to be professionally? Am I where I am supposed to be in regards to my relationship status? Am I where I am supposed to be in terms of the […]

Finding the Divine in the Secular

January 7, 2022 Kathryn Pesyna 6 min read

Let’s play a game. It’s no secret that, with a degree in English language and literature, I am a sucker for classic literature. Shoot, I’m a sucker for a good story in general. I love love love to get into the nitty and gritty – theme, plot, character development, allusion, language…even grammar! But one of my favorite things to do is find Jesus in non- overtly religious texts. I’m not talking about the Piers Plowmans written by the monks and prioresses in the middle ages. I’m not talking about Pilgrim’s Progress written by the Puritan preacher, John Bunyan. These are literal allegories with heavy religious influence. I’m talking about the pop literature (of any time) meant to entertain. Art reflecting life. Human stories. So play the game with me for a minute. Find the divine in the secular. Henry V In the first round, I’d like to get you started […]

Who will be your Running Partner this Year?

December 31, 2021 Bella Nowland 4 min read

Hello, 2022. Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? As I sit here writing this on the tail end of 2021, my mind is spinning at all that has happened in one year. Isn’t wild how when we are in the day-to-day, the days can seem so long and then suddenly weeks turn into months and you are back at Dec 31st, reflecting again at all that has happened in one year. The days go slow but the years seem to go fast. A year of blessings, change, loss, new life, friendship, conflict, hurt, encounter, and discovery of self– amazing all of those things can go on in the span of a year. Each year right around this time I get the overwhelming urge that this year, I will not just run a half marathon, but I will buckle down and run a full marathon. It always feels good […]

Prepare Him Room

December 24, 2021 Claire Raabe 4 min read

Tonight is the night. Christmas Eve means different things to so many people throughout the ages. It’s the centerpiece of famous poems and song lyrics. It’s the night of magic and trips to and from the North Pole. It’s a time we are filled with joy and gratitude for the people we have nearby. It’s a time we are filled with sorrow for the people we are separated from. For some, it’s a night of presents and setting out cookies. For others, it’s a night of midnight church services. For all Christians, it’s a time of remembering the personhood of Jesus – when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). It is a time to receive Jesus into our hearts as He was received into a manger the night of His birth. This year, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what it means to […]

Christmas: An Annual Reminder that Jesus Doesn’t Cancel Us

December 17, 2021 Bailey Lenzen 4 min read

Our culture has become quite confident in its ability to determine who should get a second chance and who should not. How dare they, right? The “cancel culture” nonsense has really gotten out of hand. Maybe. But what if you and I are just as guilty of trying to be an arbiter of who is right and who is wrong? Even as Christ-followers, we find time and time again that we too desire to take on this role of God. We want to be in control. We want to be The Judge. In fact, if we’re honest, we believe we are a GOOD Judge. I cannot deny that deep down, a sinful part of me believes I am the best arbiter not only of what is best for me, but of what is best for other people I love, and even for the whole of society. Since we love to […]

Holy Infant: Tender, Mild, Dependent

December 10, 2021 Kasie Hayes 4 min read

It’s that time of the year again – Sleigh bells are ringing, chestnuts are roasting by an open fire somewhere and the weather outside is frightful. Well, maybe the weather isn’t frightful for you depending on where you live, but you get the point. Anything below 70 is frightful to me. Nonetheless, grab your cup of hot chocolate or hot apple cider, snuggle up with your favorite chunky knit blanket and let’s talk about Jesus. Around this time of year, some people get caught up in the logistics of when Christ was born, if you should have a tree or not or if it’s sinful to even say Merry Christmas, but let’s just focus on the fact that Christ was born! One of the basics of Christianity is that we believe that Jesus was born both fully man and fully God. I don’t know about you, but, if we are […]

Good News For the Poor

December 3, 2021 Rachel Marissa 4 min read

My heart burned within me as I read Isaiah 61:1-3. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,because the Lord has anointed meto proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim freedom for the captivesand release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favorand the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn,and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beautyinstead of ashes [dignity — valued, respected, worthy],the oil of joyinstead of mourning [honor],and a garment of praiseinstead of a spirit of despair [heaviness].They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lordfor the display of his splendor [glory]. It took me a while to realize why my heart was burning. Weeks, actually. At first, I was simply moved by the stunning imagery of Isaiah 61. Then, I began […]

Join Me in Making a Holiday Resolution

November 26, 2021 Sarah Steinmann 4 min read

We’ve gathered together, we’ve offered our thanks, and we’ve taken our Thanksgiving naps. Next: a flurry of activity as we prepare for Christmas. Gift buying and wrapping, parties and Secret Santa exchanges. For those grieving: loneliness. For others: joy. For others still: stress. Before we launch into the month of December, let’s pause for a moment. Breathe in, and out, and in again. Still and listen. I’m making a reverse New Year’s Resolution this year. Instead of committing to something starting in January, I’m making a commitment to a goal that will end in January. Today, I would like to gently offer a reflection before we reach the end of the year. I would be honored for you to read. In her book None Like Him, Jen Wilken writes how certain traits (being all-powerful, all-knowing, etc) can only describe God, while other traits (being loving, joyful, patient, etc.) are for […]

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