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…
Death Is Temporary
Death has been swallowed up in victory. — 1 Corinthians 15:54 NIV Barring the return of Christ, you will have one final moment… a last gasp, a final pulse. Your lungs will empty, and your blood will still. What will you be after you die? Answers vary, but Christianity posits a startling idea: “Death has been…
You’ll Never Regret the Pursuit for More
As I sat in my tiny apartment, tears ran down my hopeless cheeks. My freshly washed, yard sale pot and pan sat upside down draining on my twenty-five cent Goodwill dish rag. I had just tucked my eight-year-old daughter into bed, plopped like a deflated balloon onto a kitchen chair and cried. Is this all…
Dance Stand Run: Let’s Go Back
It’s okay if we’ve had some misconceptions about grace, holiness, and mission. But it’s time for us to go back to the beginning of our faith and sort them out. ✦ Suggested Reading in Dance, Stand, Run: Intro, Chapter 1 (To be read by facilitator) Intro Ladies, friends, sisters: are you ready? This week, we’re…
Life Is Short: Enjoy It!
How do we enjoy life? Each Day Totally We do not know how long we have to live, so we should live every day with gusto. Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted. Take delight…
All Things New: The Hope of Renewal
Picture a treasure chest. Not a small box that might hold jewelry on a girl’s nightstand — a large treasure chest, larger than any suitcase you own, larger than any suitcase you’ve ever seen. Picture a massive oak treasure chest, like pirates might have used, with large iron hinges and a huge clasp. The size…
The Dance of Grief and Gratitude
Editor’s Note: It’s Thanksgiving — a day of thankfulness and joy. As we celebrate this season of gratitude, remembrance and recognition of God’s provision, and celebration, we also acknowledge that we and those around us may be in a season of struggle or pain. We pray that you find comfort and encouragement from this…
Hope Is Faith Waiting for Tomorrow
Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. — C. S. Lewis We all are hopers. We are creatures who cannot stop wishing. We are four-leaf-clover collectors. We wish on the evening star. We tell stories about genies coming out of a bottle to grant three wishes. After a turkey dinner,…
Hopelifters Need Hopelifters, Too!
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “How do you fill your pitcher?” I’ll never forget hearing the speaker’s words as she finished pouring water into several glasses and held up an empty pitcher. I could relate to feeling empty after pouring…
Unanswered Prayers
It’s easy to slip into the mentality that we somehow fell through the cracks of God’s good plans. Things are too final. The ink is too dry. The page has been turned. Their heart is too hard. Your heart is too hurt. The doctors have said impossible. The account is too bankrupt. The biological clock…