Living Selflessly in a Selfish Culture In our world today, faithfulness is a rare character trait. People walk away from spouses they have been married to for decades. Millennials are characterized by their flakiness and fear of commitment. Children are growing up in single-parent homes because fathers have not answered the call to biblical manhood […]

the way things should be “Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” I remember hearing a pastor say this many years ago and thinking how foolish it would be to do such a thing. Then several years later, I realized bitterness was a problem in my heart and life. But […]

“New year, new you.” That’s the thought running through a lot of our minds, isn’t it? We watched the calendar roll over to January 1 with big plans to be so much better than last year. But what if last year was one of your hardest, and you’re still just trying to figure out how […]

There’s a fantasy Christmas I’ve constructed in my mind. Maybe you have one too? During this fantasy Christmas season, I eat all of the most scrumptious treats without gaining a pound. I watch all of my favorite Christmas movies and listen to all of my favorite Christmas music. The lovely season is devoid of family […]

Halloween. It’s like a four-letter word in some Christian circles. Yes, there are some pagan roots that do not line up with the Bible. There are practices this time of year that are downright demonic. But when most people mention that they enjoy celebrating Halloween, they aren’t talking about their love of séances and Ouija […]

“You show that you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you. I have never called you ‘servants,’ because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate friends, for I reveal to you everything that […]

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare […]

Jessica Mathisen lives in Athens, Georgia with her first and forever boyfriend, Rory, and their sweet puppy, Bailey. She is a recovering perfectionist, a former teacher, and a lover of people. Her passion is to communicate God’s love to others through writing and relationships. Her favorite things are hanging with her husband, eating chips and […]

The following is an excerpt from Jessica Mathisen’s brand-new book Already Chosen: Loving your Life in the Midst of Longing, now available on Amazon. Jessica Mathisen lives in Athens, Georgia with her first and forever boyfriend, Rory, and their sweet puppy, Bailey. She is a recovering perfectionist, a former teacher, and a lover of people. Her […]