Exasperated with feeling weak and unsuccessful, I grumbled under my breath about the project I was working on. This project had called me to a vulnerable place. I had put myself "out there" and had utilized all my creative energy. I was spiritually, mentally, and physically depleted, but the project wasn't. My husband gently encouraged […]
I felt the tug of the strong, Outer Banks current on us and I knew we were in trouble. My daughter and I had been enjoying the rough surf with our new boogie boards on our first full day at the beach. I failed to notice the lone, yellow, caution flag hidden between our hotel […]
Have you ever heard this heart-wrenching story? Polish Priest, Maximilian Kolbe, was arrested by the Gestapo for hiding Jews and Polish refugees from the Nazis during World War II. During his time at Auschwitz concentration camp, ten men were rounded up to be starved to death in order to deter further escape attempts by the […]
It has been a few months since the bitter, cold day that our sweet rabbit, Cocoa, gave birth to her four babies. It was a day that Cocoa acted on her feelings instead of the realities and truth of her situation. The result was quite horrific to see. The ensuing tragedy gave me a terrifically […]
Sometimes, fighting my own thoughts feels like climbing a mountain. There are slippery slopes, jagged, painful edges, and dangerous cliffs. Being out of my comfort zone can bring on thoughts that are not based on truth and, hence, a mountain climbing expedition! I recently found myself outside of my comfort zone and started questioning my […]
What if those who are sinking could remember this one thing as they go? That there is a blessing at the bottom. "...or that in this deep whereinto they are descending, there lies a delivering mercy couching to catch them, and to save them from sinking forever, this would be relief unto them, and help them […]
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 107:3 Even though I know God's truths and may have recently been refreshed by them, a feeling can descend upon me that is as if I am far from God. Whether it be sin, pitiable life […]
He was imprisoned over three hundred years ago for preaching God's Word. He knew what it was like to want to escape the snares of sin, wrong thinking, trials, and tribulations. At the age of 16, he lost his mother and sister. As a young man, he confessed to being, "the very ringleader of all […]
I sat in the cold, blank hospital room and talked with my sweet friends, an elderly couple. I had visited them before in their warm, cozy home. The man had chronic pain since I'd known them, in his back and in his heart. His heart because he lost his only daughter at a young age […]
Am I hoping for rest more than hoping in the God of rest? Am I hoping that the rest I long for is my goodness instead of GOD BEING MY GOODNESS. How do I really and practically grasp that God is my rest, portion, and peace? The SOURCE of blessing and rest should be my […]
Advent Joy isn’t shallow or sentimental—it is rooted in the appearing of Christ. When Scripture speaks of Christ being manifested, it means that God has made Himself clearly seen, known, and encountered in order to save. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation…” — Titus 2:11, ESV The Child in the manger is the […]
Where do you long for Christ’s Peace to enter your story this week? Or have you given up hope for that? Perhaps it would be good for you and me to remember Jesus' words about the kind of peace He gives. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the […]