Trust in Me at all times. I know the pain and sorrow you are feeling, and I want you to pour out your heart in My Presence. You need to release all those emotions in a safe place. Demonstrate your trust in Me by opening your heart to Me; as you do so, I promise…
The Anatomy of a Lament
The great 4th century Church Father, Athanasius once said: “The Psalms have a unique place in the Bible because [whereas] most of Scripture speaks to us, the Psalms speak for us.” No truer words have been spoken. When we open up the book of Psalms, we find 150 of the most compelling, captivating, and…
It’s a One-Woman Job
Finding the Courage to Choose May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13 Let’s begin by acknowledging I am probably going to hurt someone’s feelings with what I am…
Season of Grief, Journey of Faith
Understanding Your Grief But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31 Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is…
Let Your Heart Break
It was a broken heart that first ignited my passion to find my cause. When I was around nine years old, during afternoon nap time for my younger siblings, my mom flipped on the TV — a rare occurrence in our home and a special treat. A commercial was playing about children in an African…
Finding a Way Through the Dark
Have you ever tried to walk around your house in the dark? With arms stretched out wide we feel our way around, running into dressers, patting walls with our hands, feeling for the familiar to find our way. It’s hard to see where we’re going without the light. It’s painful to run into things we…
One Plot or Two
Editor’s note: Kayla Stoecklein is a voice of compassion and hope for those oppressed with the mostly-taboo topic of suicide. It’s a delicate issue, one haunted by shame and fear, and one that needs to be brought into the light of God’s grace. In Fear Gone Wild, Kayla shares her and Andrew’s story but above…
Wrestling with Loss
Mike Fisher, Former NHL Star Carrie Underwood, Singer and Songwriter By the age of seventeen, Mike Fisher was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League and, shortly after that, into the NHL. The Ottawa Senators selected him in the second round, forty-fourth overall, in the 1998 draft. “I made my childhood dream,” he remembers. “I…
Jesus’ Tears Give You Permission to Shed Your Own
Martha sat in a damp world, cloudy, tearful. And Jesus sat in it with her. I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. — John 11:25 NLT Hear those words in a Superman tone, if you like. Clark Kent descending from…
Hurt: But How Do I Get Through the Next 86,400 Seconds?
The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. — 1 Peter 5:10 I want healing to be as neat and predictable as a checklist. I don’t want to be inconvenienced by…