His Purpose Prevails

Something good happened to me this week. Scratch that...something great, something downright wonderful happened to me this week. I got promoted at my job. After only seven months, having this opportunity was the last thing I expected. The new position will provide for me an opportunity to work much closer with management and employ some skills I honed during my college days, give me the chance to get to know my coworkers in a more team-oriented setting, and be a bit of a pay-raise, to boot. That being said, with such an amazing thing happening in my life, I can't help but be utterly grateful. I don't deserve this promotion; I don't deserve any of the wonderful things God has given me. He has given me them not because I am somehow better than others who don't have these things, but because he wants me to be a vehicle for his glory through my individual blessings. As a recent college graduate, I have seen others in my stage of life who are struggling to get jobs, feel

Dear Littlest Sister,  I love you. I want you to know that, because it's the most important thing in this letter. If you don't understand anything else, please don't forget that. I watched you grow up from a tiny little baby squirming on a blue phototherapy machine to a beautiful little gradeschooler with a gorgeous imagination and an admirable love of life. You are amazing and beautiful, and I hope I can be with you for the years to come. It pains me that right now I'm far away. But I love you, and I will do everything I can to make sure you know that. I'll start with these three bits of advice: 1. Follow Jesus. Your friends are for now, but He is forever. Jesus loves you and died for you, and He will never abandon you. You will gain and lose friends as you grow up and your life changes, but you will never lose Him. " Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you

This week, I was struck by the rare inspiration to do some research. With the 2016 Presidential Election coming up soon, and the candidates gearing up for a marathon, I decided to check out the field. I’ve never been incredibly keen on politics—don’t get me wrong, I care about our leaders and believe voting is a great privilege of citizenship—but, the constant mudslinging and bloody battles of ego that accompany each campaign often leave a bad taste in my mouth.  So this time around the sun, I’ve decided to bypass the televised broadcasts and radio talk-shows in favor of a little new-fangled internet research. I set out with the intention of creating an entire chart with all of the candidates’ basic views on hot-off-the-press issues, but then I realized that I was not the first to conceive this brilliant idea.  There are many websites that have compiled candidates’ views, voting records, quotes, and more to create a vast database of political profiles…all for your viewing