Turn your radio dial to any contemporary Christian station these days and you’ll hear plenty of songs about chains and how God is a chain-breaker. As we sing those songs, we tend to envision the personal chains that God has broken from our own lives – addictions, habits, and strongholds. But how often do we…

The Bible is full of “impossible” stories.  For example, imagine scratching your head in amazement if you had read the following statements as bold headlines in some historic newspaper: ~Noah and his family survived a destructive worldwide flood! ~David, a puny shepherd boy, defeated Goliath, a battle-hardened giant! ~Daniel, tossed in a pit overnight with…

I saw him as he was running towards the road.  A turkey, in a frantic effort to launch himself into the air, came within mere inches of my windshield before gaining enough upward momentum to clear it. While this event happened in a split second, it felt like the turkey and I were locked in…

If churches awarded frequent flyer miles for every time folks were in attendance, I can assure you I’d have unlimited free air travel for the rest of my natural days (and I love to fly)! I have spent my life in church.  As a result, I’ve learned a few foundational things: People are messy –…

Once upon a time, I was a single mother.  Living paycheck to paycheck was the norm; Ramen noodles was a gourmet meal; and thrift store clothing filled our closets. Taking care of my children’s basic necessities was my sole focus.  I didn’t have the margin to lavish them with the hottest toys, coolest snacks, or…

My website experienced a beautiful facelift recently.  With some professional polish and shine, kristen-west.com looks so much better than it formerly did!  A day after my new website published, I decided to get on Instagram.  I’ve had several nudges in that direction for a while now but it took my Gen Z daughter helping guide…