About this Blog

When I read Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan, tears will invariably roll, freely, down my cheeks. Like so many others who have been recipients of God’s amazing grace, I recognize myself in the character of Christian, making his way to the Celestial City. I can identify with the Slough of Despond and the Valley of Humiliation. I understand what it is like, to be misguided by men along the way, sidetracked by clever counterfeits, like Mr. Legality in the Village of Morality. I comprehend Christian’s sorrow over missteps and failures. I know what it is, to climb a great distance, and have to turn around and go back, to get it right.

If you spend any time on my blog, reading my scribblings, I want you to know, I haven’t always got it right. There are times that I have had to go back, and correct my errors. There are times that I look behind me, and feel as though I will be crushed under the weight of my mistakes. There are times when I worry that I am tragically failing as a wife, as a mother, as a teacher, as a writer, as a friend, as a Christian… Having spent most of my lifetime in a church world where lip-gloss and beards place souls in jeopardy, the concept of grace, for me, has been a very foreign one. My whole identity used to be a conglomeration of what needed to be done to secure and maintain the approval required to exist in the environment I was in. Grace, by far, has been the most challenging concept for me to grasp. I struggle to believe it exists for me. My default, if I am not careful, is to slip into a dark hole of despair over every infraction and flaw I see in myself.

The story of Pilgrim’s Progress, though, reminds me that I am human, and that there is grace, yes, for even me. It reminds me that I should not expect to make a flawless go at this journey. That I will, undoubtedly, make mistakes along the way. I’m going to stumble, but when I do, I can get back up (Proverbs 24:16). I’m going to struggle, but I can persevere. (James 1:12) That hopefully, I have brothers and sisters in Christ, who care enough about me to lovingly correct me when necessary. (James 5:19-20; Galatians 6:1; Proverbs 12:1) By His grace, we can be continually growing. (Col. 2:6-7) That’s the journey I am on. Not one of perfection, not one where I earn any merit of my own accord, but one where I am anchored in and continually growing through the grace He mercifully extends to the pitiful creature I am.

What I love most, about Christian and his journey, is that he travels with “Book in Hand.” God has provided His Word, to guide us along the way, and during a season of absolute desperation, I fell in love with His Word. He has given us a Book that contains everything we need to know, to navigate the savage terrain of this world. That Book is my most cherished treasure. It has taught me Truth that is now branded upon my heart. It has cleared away the clutter of false teachings, and silenced the confusion of religious noise. It has revealed Christ, in all His splendor, and brought stability, assurance, and certainty. When religious figures maimed and marred His Gospel so violently that my mind teetered on the brink of collapse, I pushed their voices aside, and poured my heart and soul and mind into His Word, and His Word brought me safely back to solid ground. When men hid Christ and obscured Him, and made all that pertains to Him so confusing that I could not find my way, God’s Holy Word clearly pointed to Him. By His Word, I have learned Who He is, and what He wants me to be, and how to rely on Its instructions as I travel toward the Celestial City.

I know my sojourning will not be without its mistakes. There are plenty behind, and I am certain plenty more ahead… But His Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105). In every area of my life, in every circumstance, in every situation, in every relationship, I will cling to this Book. I hope this blog will reflect that. That God’s Word is trustworthy. It is sufficient. It is our lifeline. It is of more value to me than all the treasure of this earth combined.

I am a pilgrim here for a little while.

Forward I go, with Book in Hand.