Tags Archives
in susan narjala blog
When Shame Keeps You In Hiding
As part of an online accountability group for a "healthy lifestyle," I’ve signed up for a few fairly awkward things. For one, I tell a group of about 20 people how much I weigh every day. Thankfully, others on the group “weigh in” too (literally speaking) so it’s not overly embarrassing.
Other things we do include ...
Come and See—An Easter Reflection
One of my favorite jewelry pieces is a cross pendant my parents gifted me for my 21st birthday. More than two decades later, I still treasure the gift. It's delicate and pretty, but I love it because it represents something intrinsically central to my faith—the cross of Calvary.
As Christians, our church services and our meditations often ...
The Sound Of Stillness—A Silent Saturday Reflection
The Sound Of Stillness
Saturday interjects a pause;
Friday laments suffering
Anguish and death,
Sunday proclaims wonder
Joy and life,
Saturday stands still, but He still speaks—
Even in the silence.
Saturday holds space for grief;
It doesn’t hasten us to “move on.”’
It gives us permission
To mourn,
To doubt,
To weep—
Even as we wrestle.
Saturday reminds us of the truth;
The God of the Sabbath
Directs our hearts
To be ...
Jesus Didn’t Give His Life Because Of This—A Good Friday Reflection
“Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to the Cross I cling.”
These lyrics from one of my favorite hymns, “Rock of Ages” fill me with sorrow and wonder, grief and joy, amazement and awe—that God would become man and choose to lay down His life for me.
But I am also relieved. There’s nothing more I ...
What Does It Mean To Love God?—A Maundy Thursday Reflection
As I knelt by my bed and reflected on the Cross this week, I felt compelled to respond to God’s incredible love and sacrifice. My eyes brimmed with tears as I thought about that ponderous, numbingly horrendous journey Jesus took to Golgotha. Without a doubt, my heart was moved and my spirit was stirred
I pulled ...
Start With One Small Step
As I look out the window of the living room of my 9th-floor apartment, my heart skips a beat. A little girl, about three or four years old, stands on the 6th floor of a building under construction next door to us. Her mom bends over the cement blocks a couple of feet away from ...
God Didn’t Wait—And Neither Should We
The doorbell does its thing just as I’m sitting down for lunch.
My daughter proclaims she “needs” a snack just as I’m starting work.
Okay, let’s get real here, nature calls with urgency just as I’m about to write that profound life-changing sentence.
We’re all familiar with pauses and interruptions in our daily routines. We know what it ...
Two Words God Laid On My Heart
I sometimes find myself standing before God 's throne like I’m at a Chinese fast food stall at a mall's food court waiting to get served.
Let me explain.
I can approach Bible reading like I’m there to get Hakka noodles and sweet and sour chicken plopped on my plate and say a quick, “Thank You, God," ...
You Don’t Have To Give In
For my daughter’s fourteenth birthday last year, she invited a few of her friends to an escape room. For the uninitiated, an escape room or mystery room is essentially an entertainment option where you pay good, hard-earned money to be trapped in a small space for an hour.
I’m kidding. While I’ve only gone to an ...
MEET SUSAN
