In the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. — 1 Samuel 1:20 Have you ever cried over something so much that you run out of tears? Your swollen eyes just give out and dry up while a current of unrest still gushes through your soul. And you look up…
What Makes Rejection So Awful?
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. — John 12:46 My mouth was dry. My hands a bit numb. There was a stabbing tightness in my chest. My mind blurred as my thoughts became a fragmented kaleidoscope of a million pictured…
When God Gives You More Than You Can Handle
There’s no easy way to attach the word cancer to your world and not make all who love you cry. I kept thinking about that statement everyone loves to throw out in times like these: “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” But that’s not actually in the Bible. God does say He…
Your Unique Calling
We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Ephesians 2:10 I had wanted a red coat for years. But paying full price for a coat seemed excessive when I had several perfectly fine coats in my closet. So, each year I…
I’m Scared to Pray Boldly
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. — James 5:16 Sometimes I’m scared to pray boldly. It’s not at all that I don’t believe God can do anything. I absolutely do. I’m a wild-about-Jesus girl. Wild in my willingness. Wild in my obedience. Wild in my adventures with God. So my hesitation…
What Does the Bible Say I Should Do and Not Do?
Whenever there is a conflict between what we feel we’re expected to do and what we feel we should do, it’s time to step back from the decision. And seek clarity from the only source free of the entanglements of misguided opinions and unrealistic expectations. God. Maybe it feels a tad silly to bother God…
A Prayer for When You Feel Rejected
We live in a broken world, where rejection— even from fellow Christians— could be just around the corner. But there is good news as we wait in expectation for God’s ultimate redemption! And that is Jesus. Jesus brought with Him a love that remains . . . is constant . . . stays the same.…
If Only We Knew: Embraced
If Only We Knew We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive…
The Birthplace of Disappointment
Welcome! Welcome to Session 1 of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. Opening Discussion How would you define disappointment? Watch Session One: The Birthplace of Disappointment The Birthplace of Disappointment (28 minutes) This Week’s Statement to Hold Onto: What would happen in our lives if we really lived in the absolute assurance of God’s love…
Find Delight in What Is Right
Paintings and People It was July 21. My forty-eighth birthday. I was in one of the hardest parts of this season of suffering. The season of dust. I wasn’t able to do the typical “Hey, since this is my birthday, let me just do a little planning… a little dreaming” thing. Nope. The future felt…