Marie Valle

God’s Acts in Eternity Past

September 4, 2023

One of my favorite parts of the Reformed faith is that it does not shy away from hard questions. One such question is the classic, “What was God doing before the creation of the world?” The ancient theologian, Augustine, wrote of someone else’s poor attempt at humor in his book Confessions. The exchange went something … More

Planting Seeds, Not Weeds

May 13, 2023

Life in the garden. Have you ever noticed that the Bible is bookended with gardens? In Genesis 1, we find the creation of the world. God conquers the darkness and the void and births new life. He places in His beautiful garden trees, plants, animals, even people to enjoy this amazing space He has created. … More

It Is Well

February 21, 2023

The perfect cup of coffee. The mountains. Sitting with my husband. Crossing a task off my list. Children asking for second helpings of a new dish. Those are places of peace and prosperity for me. Those are places of tranquility and safety, where everything is right in the world. Those are my “peace like a … More

Joy to the World

December 21, 2022

In our children’s Sunday school class, I have recently been teaching on the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-23), namely that these are not just external behaviors or tasks to accomplish. Instead, these are evidenced of the Holy Spirit within us that change the foundation of who we are. It is that of the … More

The Purpose of Marriage

October 12, 2022

Marriage. The God-given ordination of the union of one man and one woman for the rest of their lives till death do us part. That is already a rather controversial statement. But even for the Bible believing Christians who can agree on that, the purpose of marriage can be a little murky. What is the … More

A Recipe for Forgiveness

May 7, 2022

Have you ever made a really great dish and been super proud of it? Have you ever made what you thought was going to be a really great dish only to have it be a total flop? You may be familiar with the show on Food Network called "Chopped". In the show, they give … More

Eating Disorders: The Secret Struggle

June 23, 2021

The other day, as I was organizing hair ties, clips, and accessories into a color coordinated box, I was struck by the idea that I am a girl mom. Evelyn, Tonya, and Renee (six years old, three years old, and ten months old respectively) have entangled my world with curly hair, nail polish, and shoes … More

When It Feels Like Sinking

April 22, 2021

I could see the suffering on her face every time I looked at her over the last few months. Yet she couldn’t hide her surprise when I asked her out for coffee to interview her for a class paper on the topic of suffering. The relative comfort Samantha has enjoyed since her escape from the … More

Immunity to Shame

April 16, 2021

I’m not a visual person. I couldn’t accurately describe my baby’s face or my wedding dress to a sketch artist. But as I consider shame and guilt in my own life, my mind’s eye can recall in vivid detail the ground or carpet present in those memories. It wasn’t until I sat down with Laura … More

Peace In Repetitive Liturgy

May 18, 2020

If you have been watching the worship services for Christ Reformed Church while in quarantine or have read much of our literature, you have certainly noticed that we are a liturgical congregation. What you may not have known is that Pastor Angelo and I did NOT grow up in a setting of repetitive, printed liturgy … More

Christ Reformed Church of Alexandria

To live faithfully, according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others to be His disciples.

Author: Marie Valle