Staci Mauney's Blog

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” (Psalm 39:4) Birthdays are cause for great celebration, and as I get older, I’ve noticed that I reflect more on my life and where I am at any given time. Birthdays mark milestones—when we’re young, […]

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jeremiah 17:14) The past year has been rough on my health. Last September, my blood pressure, which had always been normal, suddenly spiked after a dizzy spell and didn’t go down for three […]

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV) I don’t remember when I first read Psalm 121. I was probably a teenager, reading through the Book of Psalms for the first time. The psalms have […]

[Jesus] told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” (Luke 24:46-47) During Holy Week, we were reminded that the culmination of this season is Easter Sunday, when […]

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (Jeremiah 31:25) Each year, I choose a word for the year. For over a decade, instead of creating resolutions that I know I won’t keep, I’ve chosen a word to focus on throughout the year. The only time I haven’t chosen a word was last year. […]

Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14) The fourth Sunday of Advent symbolizes love. Did you realize that we have only one word in the English language to express the emotion of love? We use the word love to describe how we feel about pizza, our families, and our hobbies, among many other things. The […]

…for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Joy can be difficult to find during the Christmas season. Perhaps our lives haven’t turned out the way we thought they would. Maybe we’ve lost someone close to us or been rejected by someone. In Western culture, we equate joy with happiness, but these […]

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) During the second week of Advent, we focus on peace. When you think of peace on earth, what […]

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7) Do you celebrate Advent? I hadn’t heard about this celebration until I was an adult. I’d heard about advent calendars and wreaths, but I believed those were only for certain denominations. […]

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13–14) Cookouts. Fireworks. Family. I have many good memories of celebrating […]