Posts by Alycia Johnson
Blessings of Obedience

So many times, the stories we hear are of those who had the craziest testimonies and found Jesus. If that is you, I am so proud of you and excited to meet you here on earth or in Heaven one day! Many times, the ones that stayed under that umbrella don’t get as much of an opportunity to tell their side of the story. They don’t wear the scars of the past, but bear the blessing of obedience.

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Book Recommendation: The Garden Within

Dr. Phillip’s personal family genetics with mental health, as well as her education, made her the perfect person to share this wisdom on mental health. In addition, I had a personal friend comment this book was incredible. She beautifully weaves nature, personal stories, the Bible, and scientific education. You walk away feeling more confident in understanding how your brain and body affect mental health.

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Til Death Do Us Part

Once upon a time, there was a girl simply following God’s plan. All of a sudden there was a young man in need of God’s love. That girl would be me, and for the first time ever, I can’t even tell you the first time we met. My most solid and best beginning memory of our friendship was the rooftop of a bar in Milwaukee where a young adult’s group was doing street outreach. I watched my quiet friend get chest bumped into a dance battle. All of a sudden he and another dude are in a full on break dance battle in front of me.

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The Innkeeper

We’ve all heard the story of the innkeeper. He’s the bad guy in the story, right? The one we talk about who forced Jesus to be born in a barn. It’s interesting to me that he gets a bad rap. God started showing me how the innkeeper was a good guy in the story. He’s the one who gave what he had. He didn’t have a palace, but he gave what he had. That makes him a hero in the story and why he was given a place in the story.

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Conclusion of Back to the Very Beginning Series

I’ve talked a lot this past year about different theological vantage points, doctrines, and religions. As I’m writing this, Reformation Day is coming. I wanted to spend the day talking about reformation for the final “Back to the Very Beginning” (click my name above to see all other articles from this year on this series). 


First, I have to define what a reformation is. It is the recognition of an old system being wrong and a new system being right. I recently heard a sermon that talked about how the church was supposed to create the culture - not adapt to it. Today, churches have adapted to the world in many ways to draw people in. I’m not saying that’s wrong - but we need to be careful that we’re not simply adapting to the world’s customs.


We’ve talked numerous times about Martin Luther and his 95 theses, which caused a reformation that created a separation into Protestant when the church had primarily been Catholic before this. However, we have not shared as much about the rest of Luther’s life in this series. To me, he has one of the strangest, quirkiest, and greatest love stories of all time. Let me tell you the story and explain how it relates to reformation…


There was a young woman named Katarina von Buren. She was a nun. News came to her there was a man named Martin Luther who had been a Catholic priest. He learned that he could hear from God on his very own! In addition, he had left the priesthood because knowing you could hear from God didn’t mean you had to be single. You could be spiritual and married. She and other nuns at the convent requested the help of Martin Luther. Late one night, they were whisked away in whiskey barrels in a wagon. All of these nuns were “matchmade” or placed into familial homes.


Katarina was a problem among the nuns, however. She was fierce, strong, and filled with a very powerful faith. Every time they matched her with someone, it never worked out. Katarina finally said she would marry Martin Luther & no one else. Luther was challenged to view his own beliefs and realized he was the best match for her. They were married THAT NIGHT upon that realization. It is said that they had a marriage that revolutionized marriage for that time in history! Marriage had belonged to the government because all the spiritually strong people were nuns and priests. The marriage of these two brought forth a new generation of marriage in the church.


This isn’t your typical article of theological doctrine BUT it is the discussion of reformation of the culture. Martin Luther and Katarina Luther went on to model a healthy, spiritually strong marriage for a world lacking this at that time period. Look at the culture of your church, your community, and even your family. What needs reformed? How can you be a part of that reformation? Sometimes God places you somewhere like Esther to be a part of a reformation or part of a movement. Where is God placing you today? I hope you enjoyed this year’s “Back to the Very Beginning” on theology & the church! Stay tuned in my own life as I start a new chapter called “Foundations” here on Tirzah!


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Bible Resources: The Old Testament Handbook!

Typical Bible study tools include (obviously) a Bible study, journal, and pen. There are other additions you can add to help you understand the Bible even more. Commentaries break down each verse, chapter, and book in detail with a human’s perspective on it. You can get Greek or Hebrew translations helps, so you can understand the original wording of the Bible. There are so many resources to help YOU understand what God is saying in His Word.

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New Music Review: Julie Elias - Dreamer

There was this time, during the 90s/early 2000s when it was the era of girl Christian singers. I remember the concerts, tours, and teen girl magazines. Rebecca St. James had her tours with her brothers Joel & Luke (now known as For King & Country) in the background. Natalie Grant was a household staple. Then, there was Britt Nicole - the new, young cool singer. Those days were some of my favorites.

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Back to the Very Beginning: Part 4

If you’ve been following along this year with Tirzah, you know that we have been on a journey to explore the basic foundations of our faith. Check out Parts 1, 2, and 3 to learn more about the Biblical understanding of “church”.  Today, we are actually following through on a request for the foundations of the Anglican Church.

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