Dearest brothers and sisters, Thank you so much for reading, commenting on, and supporting the STFOnline Blog! We deeply value your engagement and are so grateful you take the time to read these weekly vignettes. We hope they’ve been a super blessing to you! Back in December, we made a post informing our readers that […]
It’s not uncommon to hear the phrase “God is good!” in times of plenty. When circumstances fall together in ways that please and benefit us, we’re often quick to declare the goodness of God because it’s right there in front of our faces. However, the same Christian who praises God’s goodness when they drive off […]
I think the hardest thing God has ever asked of me is to live peaceably with all men. I’m working on improving my reaction to inconveniences with the help of my Creator, but there are times when it’s so hard not to completely lose my cool and get snippy when things go wrong. Sometimes He […]
I am what many people affectionately refer to as an “administrative nerd.” Organization is my passion…few things bring me as much satisfaction as seeing all things flowing well within any set of parameters, be it in my small business, my day-to-day job, family, friend circles, etc. As a result, I kind of tend to lose […]
It’s a part of the human condition that ultimately, we all fear something. From quiet, uneasy rumblings to devastating, life-altering phobias, we’ve all faced something at one point or another that has terrified us. One of the greatest problems with fear is that it greatly hinders our effectiveness on God’s behalf in this world. As […]
When trouble comes or you find yourself in need, how quickly does your heart turn to God? How close is He to the forefront of your thoughts? Is your instinct to turn to people for help, or to Him. I think there are lots of reasons why we may not think to turn to God […]
A friend once told me a story of two Buddhist monks walking down the road. They reached a river and found a wealthy woman searching for a way to cross without sullying her fine clothes. Being celibate to the point of abstaining from contact with women, the monks were tempted to pass her by; nevertheless, […]
Different generations seem to have different qualities they laud and applaud. In times past it was honesty, integrity, grit, strength; nowadays, it seems the best thing you could ever be is independent. The ability to care for oneself irrespective of the input of others is considered tantamount to achieving nirvana. According to our modern culture, […]
Jesus told a great parable about the wise man who built his house on the rock versus the foolish man who built his house on the sand. Both men wanted a wonderful place to dwell, and both probably figured they were going about it the right way. One could even speculate that the houses themselves […]
One of the most visceral cries of the human spirit is to be heard and understood. Unfortunately, there are so many things that act as barriers between us and other people: miscommunication, misrepresentation, past hurts, the fear of rejection, the fear of being misunderstood, and on and on. We may not bring our honest selves […]