There are lots of links to the famous blogs out there that everybody knows about, but what about those blogs that rock but more people need to go to the show? This is my shout out to you! Here is a list of 50 Christian blogs by 50 Non-Famous Christians. Awesome people write them, and you should visit every single one of them.

*I do not guarantee the theology promoted by each of these sites, just that each one claims to follow Jesus. Use discernment and enjoy!

1-10 

CraveSomethingMore.org - There’s more to life than this and we know it. Blogger Chris Tomlinson wrote a book about satisfying our cravings in God. I bought it, read it, and got coffee with the author. Awesome.

A Funny Thing - You ever have one of those “Wow” moments (and not in a good way?) The kind of moment where you think “This is not normal…” This is for you. Enjoy. Blogger Sarah Ryan, one of our very own famous guest bloggers, writes about beauty in obscure places.

Patristics in Motion – Want to learn about church fathers? Let the Arsenal unpack his knowledge on you! Stand and weep at the glory of it all. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

dustn.tv – Christianity. Creativity. Social Media. Dustin has one of the best looking Christian websites I have ever seen. If he would remake my website for free, I would take it. He’s also a creative genius and looks good in aviator sunglasses.

Rachel’s Randomness – A December ’10 Southern Methodist University journalism major graduate and working Dallas girl at a small magazine, with a passion for writing with color and wit, who hopes to change the world a reader at a time.

Transforming Words - “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” A theological and philosophical thinker who likes to write book reviews.

DeVotion – The title of one of Paul DeVos’s recent blog posts, “If women dance… Snatch yourself one!” Enough said.

Big B – Amplifying God’s Kingdom! His name is Brandon. He loves music, sports, and is a passionate follower of Jesus.

Life of a Steward - Christian Time Management. Follow Loren Pinilis as he seeks to humbly serve Christ through life’s journey.

Bloogging From the Boonies - Thoughts from a Christian Homeschooling Mom and a Compassion International Advocate. Follow Michelle. She was once a Wiccan, a Dead-head, and a hippie. Now she loves the Lord and wants to share the good news.

11-20

Bohemian Bowmans – A nomadic family with a penchant for the unconventional. Follow the Matriarch Jessica and her 4 wild things as she talks about “parenting, faith, compassion international, and unschooling.”

Versical – Mike has been writing Christian poetry for around ten  years. He considers it a gift given to him to share and encourage others and to contribute to various sites as well as having two of his own. Check out his second site - Devotional Rhymes.

eFlections on Doing Life – Perspectives in the context of community. Follow Randy Kinnick as he lives life through community, all along the way attempting to apply God’s truth.

Cycleguy’s Spin - Ramblings from the mind of a guy whose mind is always spinning and a spinning. This guy likes bikes and he likes multiple font colors.

The Observer – Follow a Ukrainian Christian as she makes observations about life with God and humor firmly in her heart.

Faith That Moves – David Willard Jr. writes about how faith not only moves us, but moves the world around us.

Reformed and Loving It - Welcome! I’m glad you stopped by. Reformed and Loving It is a place dedicated to discussing and advancing a Reformed Christian world view as well as promoting the means of grace. I hope it is a blessing to you and I do welcome your comments.

The Rankin File – Check out a Southern Baptist preacher as he pastors a Presbyterian church in America.

God Talk – Senior Pastor David Reid has pastored First Baptist Church in Reading MA for over 30 years. Listen in as he shares devotionals and everyday insight into life in light of God’s grace.

Awakenings – What happens when Christians awaken from sin sleep to righteousness in Jesus Christ? Follow Lawrence J. Caldwell on the Awakenings journey to find out.

21-30

Sanctified Rant – Dai Hankey’s Blog. Dai is a self-described “charismatic with a Bible or a calvinist with a smile (depending on who was asking!)”

Live with Purpose Coaching - Joe is a consultant, author, and coach who wants to get you to chase down your dreams.

N Paul Williams – “Sometimes calling people out of the darkness means going in after them.” Having read his book, Ripper Grimm, I can attest to him being an amazing author. Checkout his website. Buy his book.

An Arkansan in New England - Follow Sam. He’s from the South. Now he’s in the North. This blog is from a guy’s perspective.

Deutschland Diaries – Life in Germany… again. Alli goes international with the name of Jesus.

Off The Beacon Path- Scenes From My Entrepreneurial Journey. Jack is a Christian businessman with an eye for internet marketing.

Theology Under Construction - Exploring the interplay between theology, history, philosophy, and life.

Brandon J. O’Brien – Reflections on Faith, Writing, and Education.

A Child’s Peace –  Amy O’Brien (wife of Brandon J. O’Brien) writes about small people hearing God too.

Bob Hyatt – Personal site of coach, author, and pastor Bob Hyatt.

31-40

Chuck Warnock – Confessions of a Small-Church Pastor.

Further Up and In – “The purpose of this journal is to air out the thoughts and leanings in my head as  my family moves “further up and in” to the mission of God.”

Signs of Life – David Swanson’s Weblog. ”This blog is my signs of life collection: items of hope- however improbable- within conversation, over meals, during a church service, buried in a book or pulled from the headlines.”

Own Strachan – He blogs: theology, culture, history, politics, philosophy, basketball, hip-hop, and ephemera.

Out of Bounds - Theology in the Far Country. Follow Adam Nigh, Jon Coutts, Justin Stratis, and Darren Sumner and their group theology blog. They are four wicked smart PhD colleagues studying systematic theology at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Jon Randall Coutts – PhD student discussing “Church & pastoral theology, forgiveness & reconciliation, gender & ministry, art & culture, and the works of Karl Barth & G.K. Chesterton.”

Darren O. Sumner -  PhD student studying both Christology and Karl Barth.

Eat With Joy – Food, Faith, & Family: Justice, Joy, & Bread of Life.

The Evangelical Calvinist – Bobby Grow is a blogger and a PhD student in Systematic Theology at South African Theological Seminary.

Perichoretic Life - Formative stories about God’s creative work in our daily lives today. Accepts guest stories!

41-50

New Epistles – Letters on Spirituality, Theology, Bible, and Life.

Apprehending Grace – “Apprehending that for which Christ has apprehended me.”

Everyday Liturgy – “Everyday Liturgy exists to be not merely a blog but a conversation.  Too often blogs become bastions of individual expertise, a place to go to find someone’s opinion on everything, instead of a place to interact and grow.”

C. Orthodoxy - Christian, Contemporary, Conscientious… or Just Confused.

Our Rabbi Jesus – His Jewish Life and Teachings. 

Wayne Brown Ministries – Religious news from around the world. He also has recipes.

Kouya Chronicle - Eddie And Sue Arthur: Supporting Bible Translation

Her Christian Blog – “Her Christian Blog is the flagship blog for the Blog Island Christian channel. Blog Island’s Christian channel will represent the non-secular, living in a secular world.”

Christian Apologetics – Scientific Evidence for a Creator God. “The myth of evolution, lack of fossil evidence, mathematical impossibilities of molecules-to-man, fossil hoaxes, DNA/RNA evidence against evolution…read the many blogs that testify of the evidence of a Creator God via science, historical, archeology, manuscripts, paleontology that is empirical, verifiable, and quantifiable. Its not a hope-so but a know-so fact.”

I Love Atheists - not just their worldview.

*10 Bonus Blogs

Seminary Survival Guide - Practical wisdom to help you avoid burnout and finish well.

Young Christian Widow - A Journey of hope, peace, and joy in the midst of healing from loss. 

Widow’s Christian Place - You’re not alone. Here’s a safe place, a growing place, a way out of the shadows of grief . . . This blog provides resources and Biblical direction for helping you trust Jesus through one of life’s most difficult challenges.

Calvin and Calvinism - An Elenchus for Classic and Moderate Calvinism

Grace in the Triad - This blog is dedicated to the propagation of the truth, namely Jesus Christ Himself (John 14:6). It is intended to serve as a defense for the Christian faith, provide hope for the lost, and give encouragement to the saints.

She Worships – Theology for Women. 

Lively Dust – “The name of this blog refers to the Hebrew creation story in Genesis 2, where humankind is created from the dust of the earth and God’s own breath. We humans are, and are meant to be, lively dust–equally, inseparably, and forever matter and spirit.”

Gifted for Leadership – Women Called to Ministry. 

Her.meneutics – The Christianity Today Blog for Women. This is a famous blog; but it’s also an excellent blog.

We Blog Christ – People. Blogging Jesus. For the Glory of God. I’d be crazy not to give a shout out to my own website. It’s a place where people, including myself, post articles like this one as we work to further the gospel of Christ. Want to write a blog post? Join us.

Now It’s Your Turn…

Wondering how I came up with this list? I explored the interwebs! More specifically, when I checked out a Christian website, I checked out who was commenting and followed those who posted links to their websites. It’s a fun way to play internet-tag and come up with a whole bunch of non-famous bloggers.

If you got through the list and managed to visit every single one of these blogs, kudos to you! Now it’s time to make your own blog post about “50 non-famous Christian blogs by 50 non-famous Christians.” It’s harder than you think, but it’s a lot of fun, and you’ll meet a lot of cool blogs and the people behind them on your way. Hey, maybe you can even compile a list of 100 blogs! All I ask is you give me a little credit for the original idea and send a recommendation my way. God bless!

Picture By: Steve-h (some rights reserved)

There are many ways to explain the Trinity. Most are heretical. Few are orthodox. So in this article we’ve put together not one, but two definitions of our Triune God. It’s not so much two completely different explanations, but two ways of looking at the same God. One view is simply a definition of God explained by his attributes. The other… is a bit more complicated.

Author #1. Will Nelson is an undergraduate student in Northern Virginia. He is working on a degree in Computer Science and spends his free time with the Scouts and working with church and para-church ministries. He loves the Lord and loves the Bible. Here is his explanation of the Trinity. 

Throughout the bible there are references to three different persons who are at the same time one God. This doctrine is called the Doctrine of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are triune, meaning three in one. Each person of the trinity is equal in substance, and has always been and will be forever present.

God the Father, the first person of the trinity as well as maybe the most widely known person of the trinity is known by His attributes. Without them He would not be who He is. However, these attributes are humans putting God into anthropomorphic terms. In other words, we give God human characteristics to better understand him. But we can do so because he has revealed himself this way in the Bible. Some of his attributes: eternal, immutable, justice, love, creator, omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.

These attributes also apply to God the Son or more commonly known as “Jesus Christ.” As we are born into sin we cannot hope to get to heaven on our own, therefore God humbled himself to our level in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that Jesus is not God, because Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time. Jesus made a decision not to use all the privileges of heaven in order for God’s plan to come to complete fulfillment in his work on earth (Philippians 2:5-9). Every attribute attributed to God the Father and God the Son such as omnipotence or all powerful also are attributed to the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit uses his attributes in different ways than either God the Father or God the Son uses them. Most people would think that the Holy Spirit is an “it”. The Holy Spirit is a person with his own personality. He has intellect, emotions, and will. Each person of the trinity has a separate personality and we can therefore attribute specific actions to each of them. Yet at the same time they are all God and of the same substance. This is why orthodox Christianity believes in one God in three persons.

Author #2. Jonathan Romig is currently working on his Mater of Divinity at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He enjoys studying theology and Scripture and has a little more precise take on the Trinity. He hopes to become a pastor after graduation. This definition comes straight from his statement of faith.

I believe in one glorious God existing in three eternal, distinct, and co-equal Persons of the same qualitative nature, namely, God the Father, source of all existence, [1] God the Son (Jesus Christ), eternally begotten without beginning or end,[2] and God the Holy Spirit, proceeding from both the Father and the Son,[3] all sharing in every divine perfection.[4] The Persons mutually interpenetrate one another without confusion (hypostasis) as they seek to accomplish their individual but harmonious tasks of creation, redemption, sanctification, and providence, all three implicated by the works of God while each work is distinctly that of the individual.[5] Furthermore, I believe in a God who is distinctly monotheistic in both undivided unity and numerical singularity.[6] He is Trinitarian in His three Persons, revealed as such in both the Old Testament in His plurality[7] and in the New Testament implicitly.[8]

I reject any doctrine that denies the threeness of God (abstract monotheism), the oneness of God (tritheism), the unity of essence of God (arianism), or God’s ontological distinction from the world (pantheism). I also deny one God is simply acting as three Persons (modalism), as well as any other statement that contradicts the Trinitarian doctrine of God.

For a fantastic book on the Trinity consider purchasing (5% automatically gets kicked back to supporting this website):

Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology with the Help of the Church Fathers

Masaccio’s Painting of the Trinity: Wikipedia

I believe in Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God, conceived without sin by the Holy Spirit, and born of Mary the virgin.[1] He is Christ the Messiah and the Alpha and Omega Himself, the First and Last, the Lord of Hosts, Yahweh, God.[2] He is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one Person forever inseparable, God incarnate through the mutual indwelling of the two natures in the one hypostasis (hypostatic union).[3]

God humbled Himself and took on humanity so that he might become the true and comprehensible self-revelation of God. [4] He fully experienced temptation and the hardships of life.[5] He grew, learned, and knew Himself to be God[6] as He lived a completely perfect, sinless, and holy life.[7] Although Jesus is God, God is not limited to only Jesus, but is fully expressed in the being of the Trinity.

I reject any doctrine that claims Christ’s human spirit was overridden by His divinity (appolinarism), His divinity was diminished (arianism), He was not fully human after the resurrection (docetism), His two natures mixed to create a third being (eutychianism), or that His two natures were distinctly separate and only associated to each other (nestorianism).

I believe Jesus healed the lame and the sick,[8] caused the deaf to hear,[9] cured lepers,[10] and made the blind to see,[11] even a man born blind.[12] I believe He showed His power over creation through miracles of nature,[13] He foreknew future events,[14] and He showed His victory over darkness and death when He cast out demons and raised the dead.[15] Just as these miracles and signs proclaimed His divinity they showed His true compassion and love for humanity.

I believe all of Jesus’ teachings are true and authoritative.[16] I believe that according to God’s plan,[17] He was crucified; He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead on the third day[18] in victory over death and Satan and is now seated at the right hand of God in glory[19] interceding for the Saints as He mediates between God and humanity.[20] Jesus fulfills the offices of prophet, priest, and king.[21] His substitutionary death atoned for sins so that those who believe will be physically raised at the resurrection. I believe that salvation from sin, death, and hell is through Christ alone (solo Christo), and that He will return to earth in glory and judgment.

Image By: Asteegabo

#1 How do you throw a party at seminary?

- Keep the library open past 11pm.

#2 What happens to Hebrew studies as the semester progresses?

- Compensatory lengthening.

#3 Why do they call it seminary?

- Because they ran out of Greek words.

#4 Why do less women go to seminary than men?

- No comment.

#5 What’s a Reformed seminarian’s favorite flower?

- Tulip

#6 Favorite pickup line to use on seminary women…

- “Is your name grace? Because I find you irresistible.”

#7 Why do some people call seminary “cemetery?”

- Because they’re lame.

#8 What’s the difference between an expositor of God’s Word and everyone else?

- Haddon Robinson.

#9 What is a Christian stripper?

- Anyone who runs around with only their helmet of salvation on (Ephesians 6:10-24).

#10 What’s so difficult about learning Greek?

- I don’t know. It’s all Greek to me.

 Image by: C@rljones

Depending on the setting, the words “New Perspective” either garner approving nods or violent repudiations. The topic elicits such varied responses because it cuts to the heart of Christianity: by what means a sinner is found to be acceptable by a holy God. In fact, adherents to this thinking would argue that the problem thus outlined is not the priority of Scripture at all, at least not a priority of Paul’s. This paper shall seek to generally outline the ideas put forth by the New Perspective, and interact with the position as both a contributor and detractor to the orthodox Christian faith.

Monica Rabadjija wrote this article on a theological perspective on justification called “The New Perspective.” She is currently attending seminary and is involved with missions work in Europe. Upon graduation she hopes to continue serving in ministry or work as a teacher in the Christian education system.

The New Perspective, as has been rightly noted by many others, is not a uniform perspective but rather a group of varying takes on Paul’s theology and specifically his soteriology. Three of the major proponents are E.P Sanders, James Dunn, and N. T. Wright. While there are a number of things they disagree upon, they all form their conclusions based around the concept of “covenantal nomism”, and the feeling that the Reformation (and especially Martin Luther) did not quite get the gospel right. “Covenantal nomism” refers to a theory promoted by Sanders in his work, Paul and Palestinian Judaism. While traditionally theologians understood Paul as fighting against a works-righteousness based system among his fellow Jews in texts such as Romans 2-3, Sanders argued that the Jews never believed they were saved by a merit based on works. Instead, they were brought into the covenant with God through His grace, and they maintained this relationship through their obedience. Thus, their system was far more grace oriented than has been previously assumed, and Paul was not concerned with a sinner meeting a holy God, but rather with cultural elitism amongst his brothers by circumcision. Because of this misunderstanding of Paul’s original intent, Protestant Christianity’s understanding of salvation since the Reformation has been far more Lutheran than Pauline.

While this assertion has some evidence in the writings from Second Temple Judaism, scholars have also found enough evidence against it to argue that it was not a universal understanding of the Jewish faith.[1] Also, a number of concerns have been raised concerning Sanders’ information and the conclusions he drew in his work.[2] While there are certainly some things to be gleaned from the idea of “covenantal nomism”, the system is not comprehensive, nor should it be treated as such.

An interesting aspect to the New Perspective debate is the subjective nature of the discussion. From the New Perspective side there are sweeping generalizations and broadly negative assertions, mostly aimed at Martin Luther, modern evangelicalism, and theological authors like John Piper. On the other side, the New Perspective promoters have been mocked as poor scholars and vilified as heretics. While both sides clearly have allowed human emotions to interfere with academic pursuit, it is apparent why. On one hand, the pseudo-pietistic tradition of modern American evangelicalism needs correction, and on the other hand the New Perspective is suggesting that important soteriological vocabulary and doctrine be rejected.

Beyond the personality driven side of the debate, there are real disagreements that fuel the combative nature of the discussion. The New Perspective has an academic and scholarly background which gives it traction. The proponents encourage careful study of Paul’s historical context, and there is definitely a danger to assuming that Paul does not need to be contextualized. This and other valid points from the New Perspective camp makes it a formidable movement, because much of what they suggest is valuable. However, the theological baby is thrown out with the bathwater, and their search for the historical context of Paul has led them to place focus on ethnic boundary markers, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and to redefine “righteousness” and reject doctrines like double imputation.[3]

Probably the most explosive rejection is that of the concept of double imputation. As Wright describes it, it is the difference between a verdict of “not guilty” versus one of “innocent”. Based on his understanding of God’s righteousness, he sees no need for Christ’s obedience to be imputed to the believer. Instead, God simply wipes the slate clean based on sin imputed to Jesus at the cross. Wright views the “righteousness of God” language in Romans as speaking to God’s covenant faithfulness, His guarantee to fulfill what He promised to Abraham. This contradicts the traditional view of God’s righteousness. A summary might be that Wright sees righteousness as faithfulness, the Old Perspective sees righteousness as holiness. To say that we are made “the righteousness of God” according to the old view, means we are counted as holy despite our sin; for Wright it means we are counted faithful to the covenant despite Israel’s failure to bless the nations.[4]

Arguably most of what Wright argues for can be answered in a more comprehensive view of the covenants. Abraham and Moses were different people, and the covenants associated with them played different roles in redemptive history. By combining the two and effectively downsizing the Mosaic covenant, Wright has lost a major purpose of the Law: to reflect the holiness of God. The Law was not an arbitrary list of requirements to keep Israel special or to designate them as the light God would use in the world. Instead, the Law pointed to God’s perfection, humanity’s imperfection, and the coming resolution of that in the Messiah. The Law set God’s standards. It is not enough for His people to be pronounced neutral, they need something outside of them to meet the standard for them, and then have that obedience designated to them, on their behalf.  Paul was definitely concerned about unity of the Body, and the integration of the Gentiles. But what made that integration possible was that everyone is found righteous—right with God—through Christ; not any other way.

Wright offers a number of valuable points of discussion. There is a trend in modern evangelicalism that verges on ignoring the historical context of the Bible in favor of pragmatic strategy and prioritizes the individual over the body as a whole. For his work on that front Wright deserves commendation. But in his crusade, Wright ignores entire swaths of the faith who are also working to fix this problem. In fact, much of what Wright has to say of value is also being said by many in the Reformed camp, including emphasis on the one story plot line of Scripture, and the importance of covenant. The very desire to place Paul in his appropriate historical context is a worthwhile venture, but the conclusions the New Perspective has drawn from this endeavor are faulty. By putting “ethnic boundary markers” and Paul’s concern for the incoming Gentiles as the primary focus of the justification discussion is to miss the mark.

Image From: J.R. Briggs

I spent a good portion of my life trying to figure out what life meant and answering why was I here.  I grew-up Catholic during the powerful charismatic Holy Spirit movement that swept through our town in the mid seventies.  I remember wanting to experience God, waiting for something to happen and desperately hoping that Jesus would show himself to me.

In my mid-twenties, while I tried to be like everyone else, pretending to “just want to have fun” but instead ignoring God & my faith, something very deep in me longed for something more.  I read lots of books & sat with fortunetellers, but my heart still ached to know the truth.

One night, I turned to the back of my Bible where there was a concordance, and I marveled at how often the word “love” was listed.  I scanned down all of the passages, and saw “God is love.”  1 John 4:16.  Turning to it, the words resonated deeply in me as I knew I had found the Truth that I had been searching for so desperately.

One night, as I prayed alone in my bedroom in the house that I was renting with some friends, I wept and asked God if He could bring into my life the man that I was supposed to marry.  Five days later God answered that prayer when I met my future husband Jerry.

Our relationship started slowly but again revolved around simply “having fun”.  Now that meant hanging out watching the Sox, Pats, Celts, Bruins and every imaginable sporting event that was either on TV or we listened to on Sports Radio. While we grew closer, I still needed to know for sure that Jerry was “the one.”

Being impatient with God, I once again sought out fortune tellers, only to be shocked and disappointed after I was told that Jerry “wasn’t the one” and that our “relationship would end in six months.”  Jerry’s Mom had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, so I knew in my heart that if things didn’t go well for her, we wouldn’t make it either.

I was desperate, and called my sister, who told me to put my relationship with Jerry in God’s hands.  I had no idea what she meant but she explained what to do.  So after I hung up the phone, I went upstairs to my room.  It was a cold, rainy, windy winters night and tree branches outside my window were constantly scraping the glass panes.  I got on my knees next to my bed, said the Our Father, told God & Jesus that I loved them both 100%  (because I couldn’t remember the Greatest Commandment to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind,).

I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins, I gave Him my life, my relationship with Jerry and then I asked for a sign from God as to whether or not Jerry was “the one.”  As soon as I finished praying, the wind stopped blowing and it became very still outside for about ten seconds.  I jumped up, called my sister back and she told me to wait and see what happens.

A few weeks later I got my answer, when for the first time, Jerry told me that he thought he was falling in love with me.  This was huge because he never had said that before to me.

As simple as that conversion was, I became a different person.  I shared my prayer with Jerry, not telling him the reasons why I prayed it, and he turned his life over to the Lord in order to try to save his Mom.  A strong desire began to grow in our hearts to want to know God.

We started to go to church, began listening to Christian radio programs, and we even attended a Pre Cana program for engaged couples, before we were even engaged.  Jerry proposed to me a few days after we finished that program.

We began planning a wedding and one night shortly before that date I had an amazing experience with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit told me that I would have four children and one of them would be a daughter named Rebecca Brooks.

Fast forward, we got married, read through the Bible together, bought a house, had a son Brad and then another son Timothy.  We felt so blessed by God’s goodness and our faith grew as we weathered Brad’s colic, Timothy’s terrible intestinal infection, Jerry’s two job lay offs and my gall bladder surgery.  Sadness struck shortly thereafter when I miscarried at ten weeks.  We shared the loss together, but then Jerry was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), a cancer of the blood.  Time stood still, we wept, we held each other and then immediately decided we would fight it.

Fortunately, friends arranged an appointment for us to see a top CLL specialist.  We met him, he hugged us both, and we began to plan out the battle.  Miraculously praise God, Jerry’s only sibling was a perfect match for a stem cell transplant if needed down the road. Jerry started chemotherapy treatment, once a month, for four days, lasting six months.  Jerry fought the good fight and worked through it all in the financial field.  A bone marrow biopsy revealed that the cancer cells were gone and the doctors declared that Jerry was in remission.

We thanked God, traveled with the boys, put an addition on our house, got a yellow lab puppy, and with the doctors permission tried for another baby.  That’s when God gave us Jack.  But on our nine year wedding anniversary, while I was six months pregnant with Jack, the doctors told us the CLL had returned.  Now we knew we had to get to transplant, so in December the doctors started a new set of chemotherapy drugs, but they didn’t work as well as the ones before.

Jerry battled on that whole year, even as he was promoted at work to be a Regional Vice President, at the same time coaching our boys’ little league teams, helping out in cub scouts & in church.  He was truly a machine and we trusted God that He would see us through this storm.

On the boys’ last day of school, Jerry was admitted to the hospital where he would spend the next weeks fighting off numerous infections as he struggled to get to transplant.

During that summer, our house became a full-fledged hotel: babysitting 24/7, meals cooked; house cleaned, laundry washed, our dog walked and literally everything in between.  A circle of love just engulfed our lives as many people reached out to help us including many from our church family.

Our faith remained strong as we tried to get to transplant, but then sadly the doctors took even that away and we were left to tell the boys that Daddy was going home to be with Jesus soon.  Jerry dictated final letters to me for the boys.  I struggled to make sense of it all since the Holy Spirit, several years prior, had told me I would have four children.

Driving home with the boys after visiting Jerry, I remembered that the nurses called Jack my fourth pregnancy due to my earlier miscarriage, suddenly I realized that the name Rebecca Brooks was for that baby.  I told the boys and they were so happy saying that Daddy had to go to heaven to take care of Rebecca.

I couldn’t wait to get back in to the hospital to tell Jerry and when I finally did he smiled. I then hugged & held him, saying it was going to be okay. Soon after that as as I slept peacefully next to him in a cot Jerry passed away in his sleep on what was supposed to be his transplant day.

I was able to share the story about Rebecca with all the staff that morning.  His oncologist hugged me & told me he loved me.  I was also able to share our entire story at several conferences since Jerry’s death.

Although you’re just reading this story now, I wrote it for my baptism at my home church. I was baptized out of a deep sense to want to be obedient to Jesus.  As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.“ Jesus is Brad, Timothy and Jack’s Daddy. His presence has been very real & evident in our lives these past years as so many people continue to bless us and do so much for us.  He’s got my boys.  Jesus is my husband.  He is all that I have, all that I need; Jesus is my Lord & Savior.  I am so very grateful & thankful that He shed His blood for me.  May all the Glory be God’s and His alone.

Thank you. -Sue

Picture By: h.koppdelaney

My brother Nathanael and I liked to search for golf balls in lake Estes. There is a golf course right next to the lake and golfers hit their balls into the water. About once every couple years the town drains part of the lake and moves sediment. If you go at the right time you can find some golf balls hidden in the sand and mud. So one time we dressed in our blue jeans and boots and headed to the lake.

How To Stand Firm Philippians 4:1-23 from Jonathan Romig on Vimeo.

I have a confession to make. I don’t really like sports. I do not describe baseball or football or basketball by listing off my favorite player’s stats. Instead, I describe all these pastimes with one word… “Sports.” So I have simply one important question to ask. What is so great about sports? Help me understand.

What’s So Great About Sports? Philippians 3:12-21 from Jonathan Romig on Vimeo.

What is Righteousness? What does it mean to be holy and pure? Does God require this or can we just be good and pass on through? Is there any hope? Yes. God provides a way of righteousness.

What is Righteousness? Philippians 3:1-11 from Jonathan Romig on Vimeo.

Is Christianity impossible? Are we unable to live and walk as Jesus walked? Join us as we discover what it means to work out our salvation in fear and trembling.

Mission Impossible Philippians 2:12-30 from Jonathan Romig on Vimeo.