by Erika VanHaitsma | Sep 3, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
Have you ever struggled with prayer? I have. Honestly. In-depth times of prayer have never been easy for me. But after children came along, they became even harder. More often than not, when I sat or knelt for too long I ended up falling asleep. And the few times I...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Aug 27, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
A friend recently reminded me of this post that I wrote years ago… I thought it was time to re-post it. My Dear Daughters, You are so precious to me. I look at you and I am amazed and scared. I know what it’s like to grow up as a girl. I know the...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Aug 20, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
I am concerned. I understand that for some there is great fear still and a lot of unknowns. I understand that there are two very strong differing opinions and it can be incredibly difficult to know who to trust and who to listen to. Which voice is right? But I think...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Aug 13, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
I love a good story. I love the way it can transport you to other worlds and times and lose you in its narrative. I love the emotions it can produce and the almost euphoric feeling it gives when the good guy wins and the bad guy gets justice. I love the way a good...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Aug 6, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
It’s a horrible story, and thankfully everyone agrees on that point. Even the author of the book. Which is part of the reason the story is in there in the first place. Read through the book of Judges and you will quickly recognize the pattern. There’s a...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Jul 30, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
There are dark pages in any nation’s history. Unfortunately for Israel some of her darkest are written down for everyone else to read. And one of the darker stories is found in Judges 19. If you need more recap read last week’s blog. (total disclosure...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Jul 23, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
This is a dark story. It’s not for little kids, and it’s certainly not for the faint of heart. There’s an ugliness that can’t be ignored and an evil that compels pure disgust and dread. I am not a feminist. But I am a strong woman. I feel...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Jul 16, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
Right now we live in a culture that loves to vilify history and all who came before us. And no one is safe. From writers to missionaries, saints to sinners, politicians to people of interest. Apparently it is our job today to hold up to the microscope those who came...
by Erika VanHaitsma | Jul 9, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
I once heard of a seminary Professor who took his extremely confident and zealous class of soon-to-be-preachers to a cemetery. And there this Professor introduced his young students to a man. A man who by that time had been dead and in his grave for a number of years....
by Erika VanHaitsma | Jul 2, 2020 | Sunday Morning Thoughts
Church, it’s time we stop letting the world define love. I have seen numerous posts lately which have the same basic premise. “Because I love/care about…, I do….” Or even the opposite sometimes, “Because I hate/disagree...
