“…after you have suffered a little while…” Grace and suffering are not two words we often put together. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10, ESV). An experience,…
“…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…” Who wants to walk through the valley of the shadow of death? If you raised your hand for the above question and thought, “sign me up,” I would be concerned about your well-being. Yet, believers in Jesus Christ have chosen to follow Him wherever he leads, including in…
“…if our hearts do not condemn us…” Who do you think you are trying to launch a business? No one will hire you. Why would you start a podcast? No one will listen. Why would you bother to get a book published? No one will read it. Why would you organize a women’s event? No…
“…and God’s Word gives us hope…” Are you missing out by dismissing too quickly? With our scrolling, disposable, deliver-the-next-day world, are we skimming over and missing out? Are we willing to slow down and dig a little deeper to look for substance that will support us throughout our day, the meeting, the test, the crisis,…
And Gideon called the place, “The LORD is Peace.” Gideon is known for not thinking highly of himself, yet he was called a “mighty warrior” by an angel, known for twice throwing out a fleece to make sure he heard God right, and known for defeating the enormous Midianite army with only 300 men. What…
“TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” I listened as my friend sat across the table with tears running down her cheeks, sharing her revelation. She had spent her life believing God was judgmental and harsh. She thought God could never love her based on what had been done to her and what she had done. The effect…
“…they hunted for him…” Depression has many associates. It is a collaborative group effort to bring a soul down. The combination of team members will look different for each soul. One of my depression associates is “People Pleasing.” She brings an entire team of her own to unite for the cause. This sub-team usually includes…
“Blessed be the LORD, my Rock.” Enormous boulders too high and wide to climb were curiously placed in a city we traveled through on vacation this past summer. The rocks appeared to be intentionally positioned there, but they didn’t seem to follow a landscaping purpose. The motive was disturbing. I was informed that the purpose…
“to guide us to the path of peace.” Flames flickering and glowing deep hues of orange and red with hints of purple, blues, and yellows, the wood hisses and smokes, our fireplace is alive with warmth, while outside the wind howls from a cold winter storm. I think of where I was this time last…
“I delight greatly in the LORD.” We delight in ice cream and Saturdays and free time with friends. We delight in finishing a project, unexpected financial gains, and opening the front door to see our Amazon package has arrived. We delight in peaceful family gatherings, meaningful chats over tasty food, and moments with deep belly…