The Spirit of Fika
The coffeehouse in the town near my house is named Fika. It’s a Swedish word meaning to take a break with coffee and a pastry, always with family, co-workers, or friends. I’m not Swedish, yet the spirit of fika describes one thing I love most about Jesus—His practice of taking a break to eat and relax with others.
Scholars say Jesus’s meals weren’t random. Theologian Mark Glanville calls them “the delightful ‘second course’” of Israel’s feasts and celebrations in the Old Testament. At the table, Jesus lived what God had intended Israel to be: “a center of joy, celebration and justice for…
Quiet Awe
My life often feels frenzied and hectic. I hurry from one appointment to the next, returning phone calls and checking items off my seemingly infinite to-do list while on my way. Out of sheer exhaustion one Sunday, I collapsed into the hammock in our backyard. My phone was inside, as were my children and husband. At first I planned to sit for just a moment or two, but in the undistracted stillness, I began to notice things that invited me to linger longer. I could hear the creak of the hammock swinging gently, the buzz of a bee in the…
Living in God’s Story
Ernest Hemingway was asked if he could write a compelling story in six words. His response: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” Hemingway’s story is powerful because it inspires us to fill in the details. Were the shoes simply not needed by a healthy child? Or was there a tragic loss—something requiring God’s deep love and comfort?
The best stories pique our imagination, so it’s no surprise that the greatest story ever told stokes the fires of our creativity. God’s story has a central plot: He created all things, we (the human race) fell into sin, Jesus came to earth and…
Seeing God’s Greater Purpose In Our Pain
In those times of loss we all go through in life it can be difficult to see God’s greater purpose in the pain. But today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice help us find hope in the most hopeless of situations. Don’t miss the conclusion of our series, “The Struggle Is Real” today […]
He Holds Our Hand
The little girl who navigated the stairway one Sunday at church was cute, spunky, and independent. One by one the child—who appeared to be not much older than two years old—took the steps down to the lower level. Descending the stairs was her mission and she accomplished it. I smiled to myself as I pondered the daring independence of this courageous toddler. The child wasn’t afraid because she knew her caring mother’s watchful eye was always on her and her loving hand was extended to help her. This aptly pictures the Lord’s readiness to help His children as they make…
3 Questions to Ask When Confronted with Fear
It was the darkest day of my life.
I was approached by a respected church member who threatened me, “Listen, Jap. This is our church and we were here before you got here. We will be here when you’re gone, so go back to your country. You don’t belong here.”
Using Our Inner Voice To “Renew Our Minds”
Regardless of what other people say, our own inner voice tends to have the biggest impact. So what kind of things are you telling yourself? Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice encourage us to “renew our minds,” and use our inner voice to speak life and love into our spirits. Pull […]
Living Sacrifice
My great aunt had an exciting job in advertising, and traveled between Chicago and New York City. But she chose to give up that career out of love for her parents. They lived in Minnesota and needed to be cared for. Both of her brothers had died young in tragic circumstances and she was her mom and dad’s only remaining child. For her, serving her parents was an expression of her faith.
The apostle Paul’s writing to the church at Rome urged Christian believers to be “a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). He hoped they would extend…
I Didn’t Dare to Let Myself Feel Beautiful
All women desire to feel beautiful. Every day, we see hundreds of advertisements for skincare, make-up, clothes and slimming treatments.
Learning To Let God Re-Write Our Story
For better or for worse, our past influences who we are today. But it doesn’t have to define us. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice urge us to embrace our identity as God’s loved daughters and sons. We’re leaning to let God rewrite our stories, today on Discover the Word!
The Girl I’ll Never Forget
I had barely turned 17 that fall in 2015. Newly arrived in Hungary for Bible college, I accompanied a group of pastors and students that were going to one of the many refugee camps at the Serbian border to help with relief and supplies.
Send It in a Letter
Her name is Ruby. She is four years old. Like most children that age, Ruby loved to run, sing, dance, and play. But she started complaining about pain in her knees. Ruby’s parents took her in for tests. The results were shocking—a diagnosis of cancer, stage 4 neuroblastoma. Ruby was in trouble. She was quickly admitted to the hospital.
Ruby’s hospital stay lingered on, spilling over into the Christmas season, a hard time to be away from home. One of Ruby’s nurses came up with the idea to place a mailbox outside her room so family could send letters full of…
Hearing God’s Voice Starts By Reading God’s Word
We all long to know God’s will and direction for our lives. But sometimes, it’s hard to hear His guiding voice. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice explain that hearing God’s voice starts with reading His Word. Learn how to recognize God’s prompting in your spirit, today on Discover the Word!
Shelve Them and Move On
I’m reminded of some wise advice a radio broadcaster friend once gave me. Early on in his career, as my friend struggled to know how to deal with both criticism and praise, he felt that God was encouraging him to shelve both. What’s the essence of what he took to heart? Learn what you can from criticism and accept praise. Then shelve both and humbly move on in God’s grace and power.
Criticism and praise stir in us powerful emotions that, if left unchecked, can lead to either self-loathing or an overinflated ego. In Proverbs we read of the benefits of encouragement…
Finding Freedom In God’s Love And Truth
Scripture reveals the truth about who God really is. But sometimes we let our circumstances change what we believe about His character. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice help us find freedom in God’s love and truth, no matter what’s going on around us. We’re continuing the series, “The Struggle Is […]
