So often, I wish I could write poetry or music. There is so much feeling within me that it would be such a joy and a relief to craft it into something tangible. I received a gift from God today that I did not expect to receive and it just so happens that the gift…
Author: Rebecca Norvelle
Humbly sharing God's self-revelation, throughout the Bible and within my heart...
I have loved to write since I was a child - I still have my journals dating back through second grade! I never did much with this passion, though, besides edit my friends' papers. It is only in the last few years that I have discovered why God gave me this talent and yet nothing to write about. He was waiting for me. I have believed in God since I was a small child, but it wasn't until recently that I turned my belief into faith. And so, I am on a fascinating and joyous journey as a lifelong acquaintance of the Bible who now has the bright passion of a new believer.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.... For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
John 1:14-18
It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming!
What if we marked time not just with the birth of Christ, but with his resurrection, as well? What if every Easter was marked by fireworks and celebration and fancy parties? What if, on the first of each year, we toasted our fresh start in Jesus, not just the turning of a calendar page? Imagine…
To Be a Disciple on That Day
During Easter and throughout each year, Christians abide in the resurrection and the freedom and hope it has given all believers. On Good Friday, we also remember the awful necessity of the crucifixion. In terms of the latter, what I haven’t heard spoken about much is the agony of that hour, not for Jesus, but…
Palm Sunday: Foolish Knight
For Palm Sunday, I wanted to share a song I found a few days ago along with something titled only “from a Christian Lectionary.” The words from the lectionary are first. [Just a heads-up – I’ll be posting two more Easter-related messages in the next few days so that anyone who wishes has time to…
The Day the Curtain Tore
I can’t read those words without choking up. It’s such a simple verse and yet, to me, it is the crux of not just Israel’s history, but humanity’s. Maybe it’s how visual it is, or how matter-of-fact. But the simple words of Mark 15:38 negate our darkest hour, man’s expulsion from the Garden. Adam’s sin,…
Why I Fear the End of the Pandemic
For much of the decade leading up to 2020, my daily uniform involved some combination of sweats and pajamas. In the last year, though, sheltering in place transformed this from something to conceal into endless memes and jokes. Let me back up. In October 2009, I left a medical residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in…
Offering Comfort: When Less Is More
Pain is my companion throughout most of every day. I know pain’s tag-alongs as well. People who live with chronic pain are often well-acquainted with the fatigue, sadness, anger, and even despair that their pain brings. The biggest thing for many of us, though, is what we have lost because of our pain. I’ve certainly…
Doubts in the Disconnect
What secret doubts haunt you as a Christian? I know it can’t be just me. True, it’s not something people like to talk about. It’s fairly common for Christians to admit various human weaknesses; learning and practicing humility is essential to a healthy Christian faith. A prayer for help with self-control, lust, or greed probably…
Noah and the Coronavirus
Times are hard, people. The pain and weariness of enduring a pandemic has been a reality for almost a year now. If you are like me, the statistics of death rates, new variants, and vaccination shortfalls are all a blur in your head. Don’t let this “virus fatigue” drown out reality. Here in the US…
Earthly Wisdom and That from Above
Christians in Conflict Reflections on James 3:13-4:10 The end of James chapter 3 contrasts “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” wisdom with the “wisdom from above.” The people he sees as operating under earthly “wisdom” are those who have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in their hearts and who boast of it and spread falsehoods. Wisdom that comes…
Before the Fire 