The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
- Psalm 16:6 -
The sun gleams through the kitchen window this morning. I can hear the washing machine running as I wait to hang clothes on the line. I strip the beds to wash sheets and pull my hair back, hearing little feet run down the hallway behind me.
“Happy birthday mama!” The feet are attached to little bodies and upturned faces, full of joy and excitement. We drive to get waffles and coffee for breakfast, then run home to load the trailer for our trip to Tennessee tomorrow (we will see you at Teach Them Diligently this week!).
Nothing much is different. Just a normal day, just another year. But last year's birthday was in the middle of the hardest months of our married life. Only a month later we would lose our second baby of 2024. I would be betrayed by one friend and hurt by another. I would watch our children grieve loss after loss after loss. I would wish to wake up from it all.
And now I have. I've woken up on the other side. Sometimes I feel like I'm not fully “awake” yet; like I can't wrap my mind around our new season. I can barely believe we are 21 weeks pregnant with our miracle, double-rainbow baby; that we get to travel as a family to minister together; that we get to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Last year every pain felt like a new limitation. Every area of life, every way we turned – loss. I learned to live within the limits of that pain. I was boundaried on every side by grief. Even down to the very last month of 2024, when two more of our animals died and one of my children went into the hospital to be assessed for a mass on her neck, we felt like the limitations of our season would crush us.
Some of those limits have lifted. Now we live with new ones. Learning to rejoice in a miracle when fear stands nearby, willing us to prepare for the worst. Parenting older children who have new challenges and emotions, some shaped by their own grief. Accepting the call to do what God has asked even when people disagree or disapprove.
But these limits, these boundary lines, have fallen in pleasant places. Yes, there is still hardship. I am still changed. But I also have a delightful inheritance with Him. And on my 35th birthday, I'm counting up 35 reasons my inheritance is so beautiful. Maybe you need a reminder too?
35 reasons I'm a Christian
The historical evidence for Christ is greater than the evidence for Alexander the Great and some of the Caesars. Archaeology, documentation and history speak to his life and ministry.
The concept (and reality) of grace – it is unique to Christianity!
God's personal nature (expressed through Father, Son and Spirit). He deeply cares about each of His creatures. He is not distant and impersonal.
God's love. I am secure with a God whose nature is love.
God's wrath. I am safe with a God who is wrathful against evil.
The Holy Spirit's personal leading every single day. My God speaks personally to His people, if they will only learn to listen.
Being able to hear and follow the voice of God. He speaks through His Word, to our spirit, through His people, in dreams.
Wisdom constantly available in the Word. When in doubt, Scripture gives us the principles we need to make decisions for peace.
The Body of Christ: the Church. A spiritual family who is growing more like Christ each day.
How denominations express God's diverse, unifying heart. God uses ALL the expressions of orthodox worship and Christian morality to reach the world, and it is beautiful to see.
11. The way Christians through the ages have united around the gospel core. Church history speaks to the core doctrines of our faith and the truth on which we stand.
12. God's kindness, even in the face of my sin. His kindness, not His shaming, draw us to repentance.
13. The church calendar and its rhythms for every season. The calendar is a gift to us: a life built around the life of Christ.
14. The testimonies of intellectual giants who did not find Christ too “irrational” to believe. The scientists, theologians, and great thinkers who believed in Him show us that Christianity is both rational and spiritual.
15. The testimonies of the poor in Spirit whose simple faith transformed the world. Those deprived of education yet who used their voices and experiences to speak for the marginalized show us that Christianity is GOOD for society.
16. The fact that Christians have always led the way in care for the poor, orphaned, widowed, needy, and sick. True believers were the ones building hospitals, saving babies, feeding the impoverished, creating orphanages, and speaking up for the enslaved.
17. The heart of Christ, always available to comfort us. He does not leave us to “manifest” our ideal life, He walks with us every step of the way.
18. How the gospel was never for the most wealthy, enlightened, or privileged of society – it is for anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. Period.
19. The way true Christianity motivates desire for justice and truth, holding all earthly “sides” accountable. Christianity bows to no earthly god and holds all earthly idols accountable to His name.
20. How the best leadership advice is just biblical wisdom, repackaged. Want to be a good leader? Follow Jesus and submit to His refining.
21. Some of the most lasting art and music we know today was inspired by Scriptural truth – the Bible and beauty go hand in hand. Our philosophy of the human image plays a major role in the art we produce.
22. No matter where I go in the world, I can find a Christian and have an immediate connection with them. We have an instant shared value system and understanding of what matters most.
23. No matter where I go in the world, I can find a church and form a community. I don't have to try to make friends and community in bars, clubs, or local groups. I can immediately start with the Body of Christ.
24. The love of God, when embraced, empowers me to overcome the wounds of my childhood and generational sins of my foremothers. I am not an endless victim of my past.
25. Christianity gives me hope to become the best version of myself, but the weight of that transformation is on Christ, not my effort. It's not all up to me.
26. Christ's sacrificial example gives me a map for marriage and covenant so I can build a relationship that lasts. The Lord is the center.
27. The heart of the Father shows me how to parent with love AND truth so my children grow up with affection and purpose. His parenting of me helps me be the best parent I can.
28. The story of Scripture explains why sin and evil exist in this world, but they do not get the final say. There is always hope. I don't have to become a cynic or a skeptic; I know He will make all things new.
29. The problem of evil is not a problem with a God of love and wrath; all will be reconciled in and by Him. He is completely, utterly good, and His redemption will be complete.
30. I can be forgiven, and I am empowered to forgive. Even when it feels impossible.
31. In my darkest, most devastated seasons, He can sympathize with my suffering. He never leaves.
32. His goodness and mercy follow me every day of my life.
33. This journey with God is never-ending – I can always go deeper with Him.
34. He is patient with my sanctification.
35. We go from life to life: in His Presence is fullness of joy!
Every year we host Verity Conference, an in-person and online theology conference for women who want to go deep in the Word together. Each year we've grown, and the Lord has blessed us with incredible speakers and an awesome community.
Last fall, it was clear the Lord was leading us to cancel the 2025 in-person event and pursue a digital-only event for 2025. At the time we sensed this through prayer and closed doors, with no idea we would end up due with our miracle baby when the conference was supposed to happen! God always knows best, and His leading never takes us the wrong direction.
So this year, Verity Conference will be completely online with six awesome speakers, each discussing how theology intersects with a different topic: the Trinity, Christ in the Old Testament, justice, the multiethnic church, and more.
Mark your calendars for October 3-4 2025 and plan to host YOUR local simulcast! You can host three people or 300 – use it as a small group event or as your church's women's conference. We are happy to help you whatever your goal, and are here to equip YOU to lead and disciple.
If you're interested in hosting a location, see this page! If you're ready to commit or have questions, our event coordinator is Hannah Umberger: hannah@phyliciamasonheimer.com
Struggling with Chronic Illness?
Chronic pain and illness bring many theological questions to light: Is God punishing me? Why is this happening? Will this ever end? How can He be good?
Hold Hope is a heartfelt journey into the realities of chronic pain and illness, where dreams feel derailed and the future seems uncertain. Through a series of letters, Olivia Feller invites you to walk with her through the valleys of suffering and the questions that arise when life takes an unexpected turn. This book isn’t just another guide; it’s a companion for those moments when you feel most alone, offering a hand to hold and a voice that understands.
Recommended for any Christian who is struggling with the questions that chronic illness and pain bring to our hearts.
