Christy Miller Bell

When you step out in obedience, you may not always be met with applause. This post explores the story of a nameless woman in Mark 14 who broke open an alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus, only to be met with rage from the very people around her. Through her story, we find a word for every believer who has ever been criticized, silenced, or shamed for following God wholeheartedly.

We keep waiting to feel like we have surplus before we trust God. The widow shows us sufficiency doesn't wait for surplus. It shows up in the lack. “For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” — Mark...

Jairus's story in Mark 5 shows that waiting isn't wasted time — it's where God builds the faith you'll need for what's next. It’s the waiting that forges our faith.  The Cloud That Wouldn't Lift  The air was stifling. Beads of sweat formed on my face. Not from the...

Perfectionism keeps me stuck. Bartimaeus shows what it looks like to ask boldly, commit fully, and trust God with the outcome. August is my least favorite month. Besides the heat and humidity outside, school starts back. I have to say goodbye every year to kids going...

This week I've been thinking about all the small moments I walk right past. The ones that don't make it into my prayer journal because they seem too tiny to count. My son's story this week changed all that.  "You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do...

Most of us believe God is faithful. We've seen it. We've lived it. And then worry comes anyway. Our stomach churns and our minds won’t rest. Sometimes even a seasoned faith doesn't silence an anxious heart. Here's an honest look at what a single boat ride in the...

Summer is supposed to be a season of joy and refreshment. But for many of us it has quietly become one of the most exhausting times of year. This week's post takes an honest look at what happens when good things pile up, why soul rest that actually restores us is so...

Some nights the silence in the room roars louder than any noise. This post is for anyone who has found themselves awake at 2 AM, running the numbers, replaying conversations, and wondering if God is paying attention. It is an honest look at what happens when fear...

A Weekend That Didn't Go As Planned The weekend started out as expected. Our family traveled for hours to meet at my daughters house to help them move. Once they finished loading up the last of their boxes, we enjoyed ice cream and fireworks at their community’s...

There is a single three-letter word tucked inside Jeremiah 5:18 that carries more hope than most of us realize. That word is “yet.” This devotion, the fourth in a series drawn from the book of Jeremiah, explores what it means that God's judgment has a limit, and what...