Testimony Archives | All The More: Collective Blog

When The Lost Are Found

May 7, 2021 MJ Villatoro 3 min read

man carrying boy while standing and smiling near pine trees

Several years back, my husband informed me that he didn’t want to be a Christian anymore and was tired of trying to do the right thing. His explanation reminded me of the prodigal son in the Luke 15 parable. The Lost Son In this parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells a story of a man with two sons. The younger of the two asks for his inheritance and leaves his father’s home. He wastes all the money he received, leaving him poor and hungry. The son decides to head home, hoping that maybe his father will allow him to work as a servant. Much to his surprise when he returns, his father runs to greet him with open arms. The father is delighted to see his son one again, and is quick to give him fancy clothing and jewelry. The father even calls for a special […]

God, why? > God, what?

February 26, 2021 Rachel Marissa 3 min read

If I’m being honest, there is still a part of me that wishes life would unfold the way I want it to. And I’m no stranger to the unexpected. I’ve spent the past six years in constant transition: I moved to the Netherlands for a year, serving as a campus missionary. Two weeks later, I married my college sweetheart where we fell in love, in Kalamazoo, MI. A week after arriving back from our honeymoon in Puerto Rico, we drove straight down from Chicago to our new home in Austin, TX. He began seminary; we both started new non-ministry jobs. After a few months, we joined a new church. Six months later, we both had to start new jobs (again). Two years later, we moved back to Michigan after his seminary unexpectedly closed. It took us a month to find new housing, and we lived with my in-laws. Those first […]

When Romance Falls Short

February 12, 2021 Mina Davenport 5 min read

As I sat on the couch recently reflecting on my marriage, I wept and cried out to the Lord wondering, “What has happened? Why don’t I feel as pursued by him as I once did? Why do I long for greater intimacy in my marriage?” This scene has not been uncommon in our five and half years of marriage. But why? Because my husband is selfish and unthoughtful? Absolutely not! My husband is genuinely a gift from the Lord. He is tender, compassionate, an amazing listener, and a man after God’s own heart. I am truly undeserving in many ways of such a companion! Yet, in nearly every season of married life, I go through bouts where I feel a deep ache in my soul, wondering what has happened to the romance and love we first felt. Why do I sometimes still feel lonely? These questions have driven me to […]

Masks That We Hide Behind

March 13, 2020 Eileen Drake 3 min read

The new church plant I am a part of, Refuge Community Church, recently discussed the act of hospitality in the context of bringing people to Christ. “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13-20, NIV Some of the discussion questions were: What masks do you hide behind that hinder hospitality? How do you feel God is leading you to respond? As I listened to Shawn, our associate pastor, give an example in his own life, I realized what was mine. A mask that I have hidden behind for many years is a façade that I am not as dorky as I am. Writing and saying it out loud makes me laugh because it is a bit ridiculous how trivial some things are when you look at the big picture. However, this has been an area of hurt […]

A Love Letter to the Temple of God

February 14, 2020 Raquel Hernandez 4 min read

A few weeks ago, I vandalized Gods’ temple. I wrote hate speech on its walls. I tore down the beautiful altars; altars that memorialized obstacles that lead to grace. I snuffed out all of the candles; candles that were lit with trembling faith and hopeful expectation. I stood in the middle of the temple and yelled out in defiance at all the prayers that had been spoken in and over that place. Weary of rage, ashamed, and scared; I knew I wasn’t alone. A distant, gentle voice reminded me, “Don’t you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT). MAKING MY BODY A TEMPLE The many times I had read […]

Remembering Whose Daughter I Am

December 14, 2018 Bailey Lenzen 3 min read

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)

Anger – My Quiet Storm

November 30, 2018 Eileen Drake 4 min read

It’s always hard to admit sin publicly. I struggle with anger. I want to be open and honest about it. I hesitate for a moment in writing this blog because I am in leadership at my church. What will people think of me when I admit I struggle with this sin?

If you doubt God, you are not alone

July 7, 2017 Katie Bajorek 4 min read

7:09 AM: “Dad is having jaw and chest pains. He says they went away now. I wanted to take him to ER.” I was receiving report on patients when I got this message from my mom. My heart sank. I called her immediately. She told me some more scary details: numbness in his left arm, sharp pains, sweating. She told me they were on their way to the emergency room.

When God Says No

March 17, 2017 Kathryn Pesyna 6 min read

I’m upset. I’m straight up sobbing, lying on the floor, kicking and screaming, full-blown toddler tantrum upset. I asked God for something. I asked Him for a miracle. I prayed for something that I couldn’t believe wasn’t according to His plan (1 John 5:14). I asked Him for something that I knew I could use to bring Him glory. And he said no.

We’re a Messy Church

February 24, 2017 Natalie Mayo 5 min read

When I first started reading the Bible, I was very confused about some of the great people of faith doing questionable things. Why were these people (I thought) I was supposed to look up to morally committing such terrible sins? Was the Bible condoning these atrocious things they did? Why were people offering up their daughters to be raped? Why did Noah get drunk and lay naked after the ark? Why did Solomon take so many wives and concubines? The Hall of Faith, as Hebrews 11 is often referred to, lists murderers, adulterers, and liars, yet these people were commended for their faith. I had first assumed these Bible stories were supposed to be about all good, upright, moral people and how we should emulate them. But I was wrong. The Bible isn’t a book about good people, but about a good God who chooses to use messy people.

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