God Stopped for Her The closest communion with God comes, I believe, through the sacrament of tears. Just as grapes are crushed to make wine and grain to make bread, so the elements of this sacrament come from the crushing experiences of life. ~ Ken Gire, Windows of the Soul Aaron was Gail’s only son,…
Say Goodbye to The Pit of Family Pileups
Pileups happen. Especially in families. That’s what happened to mine. That’s what happened to Keith’s. That’s the nature of family. The ties are so close that the same cord that hangs one tangles all. They say alcoholism is a family disease, but it’s not the only one. Both of my girls experienced some second-hand effects from…
God Can Get You Out of Your Pit
You can get out. Regardless of whether you were thrown in, you slipped in, or you jumped in, you can get out. And I do mean you. I’m not talking about the person who seems to deal with her pit better than you do. We don’t need to deal with our pits. We need to…
A Woman and Her God
What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8 I think I have discovered what makes life work. Test me on this and see if it is true. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 says, The LORD did not set His affection on you…
Getting Out of Your Pit
Only God can hang with us through the length and depth of our need. And the length and depth of our baloney. Maybe I’m just talking about myself, but whether or not I realized it, I usually found a way to frame my pit to make me look like a victim. Not only is God omniscient, His Word is “sharper than…
Get Out of That Pit Scripture Prayers
Each day before you begin to cry out, confess, and consent, get in the habit of echoing Christ’s approach in John 11:41b-42, where He said, Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I knew that You always hear me. Nothing causes us to lose confidence like a season in the pit. In order…
Out of the Pit and Singing a New Song
You will have a new song in your mouth, a hymn of praise to your God. That’s the second way you’ll know you’ve waved goodbye to the pit. Right after the psalmist tells us that God sets us on the rock and gives us a firm place to stand, he tells us God gives us a new song: He…
You Can Opt For God
You can opt for God. Pitching every other plan, you can opt for God. Thanks-but-no-thanks to every other deliverer, you can opt for God. Without having a clue how it works, you can opt for God. Without knowing the Old Testament from the New, you can opt for God. Not just for His help, but…
Redeeming the Years Spent in the Pit
Lord, I’m choosing to believe that You can and will redeem the years I have spent in my pit. In our Christian subculture, we think a pit of sin is the only kind of pit there is. But we have to think much more broadly. For starters, I see in God’s Word three ways we…
Family Pain: The One Who Died on the Cross Understands
Lord, You are the God of infinite strength and knowledge, mercy and love! Pileups happen. Especially in families. That’s what happened to mine. That’s what happened to Keith’s. That’s the nature of family. The ties are so close that the same cord that hangs one, tangles all. They say alcoholism is a family disease, but…