Shine BLOG

Have you ever felt like there’s more for you to do in life? You are doing what you can, yet your heart desires more. Have you encountered obstacles, challenges, fears, heartaches, heartbreaks, losses, chaos, or confusion? Yet, do you hear a small inner voice that tells you that despite all of that, there is still something greater waiting for you? Both my hands are raised as I respond to these questions. I recall a few personal instances of grave concern and devastation. Thes

What does it mean to be chosen? The formal definition of chosen is “one who is the object of choice or divine favor ” (emphasis added). [1] We have probably all experienced times in our lives when we were chosen for something, whether it was being part of a sports team, being asked by that certain boy to a high school dance, or being the one selected for a job. In any scenario, we were chosen because we exhibited characteristics and attributes that were highly favored for t

In Luke’s Gospel, we find the story of Jesus visiting the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. There we encounter an occupied and frustrated Martha, whom we envision rushing to and fro, preparing and serving food and drink to the Lord. For her, the pressure was mounting to be a proper hostess, fulfilling the cultural expectations of her day. Her sister, on the other hand, had taken a seat at the feet of Jesus. Such a position, in that time period, was only appropriate for a