I’m still pondering how the small can be so sacred.
Most of life is lived in the small, and I think the Lord is always trying to awaken us to the wonders, miracles, and marvels tucked into our everyday.
Like grass.
Yes – grass.
I never knew how much I loved it… until I lived without it.
Previous posts in this series:
Suffering
Choosing Joy
Jesus Wept
Walking with God through Suffering
Life on earth really can be so hard. There’s such deep heartache, the ever-demanding rat race we are bombarded with, suffering in so many forms. Questions swirl – about theology, doctrine, society, politics. There’s so much chaos, misunderstanding, disunity, division, dysfunction… things really do feel out of order. It’s easy to get weighed down, to feel overwhelmed by all that is happening.
But this morning, the Lord encouraged my heart with a simple yet deeply anchoring reminder:
“One thing God has spoken; two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving.” – Psalm 62:11-12a
Continue reading “God is strong. God is loving.”Previous posts in this series:
Suffering
Choosing Joy
Jesus Wept
There are so many sorrows to bear in this world, and my heart is aching for so many loved ones who are suffering deeply.
Suffering is never easy, but we are never alone. I have been pondering… when the weight of sorrow presses in, what are some simple daily rhythms the Lord has given me to anchor me in His love?
Previous posts in this series:
Suffering
Choosing Joy
I know that Choosing Joy is not a denial of hardship – it’s a declaration of trust in Jesus. Joy is a supernatural gift from Him, rooted in His grace. The joy of the Lord is our strength! But if joy is more than an emotion, how do emotions fit into all of this?
In my ponderings with the Lord this morning (and through Tim Keller’s writings), He has been reminding me again that we do not deal with suffering by simply suppressing negative emotions – it’s so much deeper than that. We must allow ourselves to feel emotions deeply so that we can release them, entrusting them to the One who can carry them fully.
Continue reading “Jesus Wept”
Yesterday I wrote about suffering
Today – I want to write about choosing joy.
For the past three years, the Lord has given me the honor of being a front-row witness to my dear friend Cory’s life – walking beside her as she has battled cancer. And she is still in the battle. The Lord is still writing her story.
And I want to share what I have witnessed. Through every step, she has faced this trial as she has lived her life – with grace, love, faith, and a steadfast choice to rejoice.
“Suffering, in and of itself, does not bring us nearer to God” as Tim Keller wisely points out (in Walking with God through Pain & Suffering). It’s who we turn to in the pain that makes all the difference.
Continue reading “Choosing Joy”
My Grandma Evelyn had a poem, “The Bible & the TV Guide” sitting on her TV stand for most of the ’90s and it has always stayed with me. It is true that “there’s nothing new under the sun”: the temptations are the same as they’ve always been from Adam & on, the forms just change. I struggle constantly trying to figure out how much technology should be a part of my life and I constantly have to repent from getting “caught up” in bad habits of turning to the phone first or most… and every time He convicts me, I must confess and ask for help in turning back, knowing He is so gracious and loving and simply wants what is best for me – Himself! Here’s an updated version for our day….
The Bible & The Phone
They lie on the table
side by side,
The Holy Bible,
with light inside,
And the smartphone,
with its glow so bright,
One shines truth,
the other artificial light.
“He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, now you have returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.” I Peter 2:24-25
“All we like sheep have gone astray” Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep without a Shepherd, were going astray. Before Christ saved us and gave us a new heart and new life…. we were wandering, seeking, soul-thirsty, headed for ruin, unprotected, exposed, and lonely.
Continue reading “A Soul at Rest”
Jesus is the source & sustainer of life.
When He, the Creator, breathed life into Adam (Gen 2:7) it was not only the beginning of humanity but also a foreshadowing of the divine plan He had prepared for His children.
In John 20:22 …He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”… This sacred breath that gave Adam physical life also breathes into us new spiritual life, sustaining us moment by moment. Every breath we take physically can be a reminder of His constant presence and the eternal life indwelling in us.
Whether we feel His presence or not…whether we feel fully alive or feel lifeless… Christ is sustaining us, always! His Spirit within us is a constant blessed assurance that we are alive in Him – not just now, but for.ever. He holds our faith together, unshaken and eternal!
He doesn’t want us to worry about how many breaths we will take on this earth. He knows exactly every breath He has for us and has hidden that from us. We are called to trust in the one who has numbered them all. Let each breath we take be a reminder that He is with us and HE IS life itself.
Continue reading “Breathe”
Recently I noticed I was really behind in my book count for the year, which made me assess why I wasn’t reading as much. It was not because I had a major downward shift in my free time. (Opposite in fact, we are in summer mode with MORE free time!) It was not because I was in a book desert and there were no appealing books on the horizon. (Opposite in fact, I have SO many great books gathering dust, crying to be read.)
When I thought about it, I realized I had also felt very distracted recently and had been having a hard time focusing for extended periods. Oh man, signs of too much technology started jumping out everywhere: high stress, high anxiety, high distraction, low focus, high comparison to others, low contentment and low peace. BUMMMERR.
But thank you Jesus, He helped me recognize what was going on and get on my knees and confess and ask forgiveness for wasting His time that He gave me, not taking care of my mind that He created, and asking for His grace and help. As always, His grace and forgiveness poured out and I was so grateful for His loving care and reasssurance.
The very next book I picked up after that confession was Jackie Hill Perry’s, “Upon Waking” and it was a divinely orchestrated moment:
Continue reading “Detox from Mind Junk Food”
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
But how, Father? There’s so much evil, misinformation, deceitfulness, confusion, and turmoil in our country right now. I know we must be on guard against the pervasive darkness and wickedness that’s spreading. I want to “guard my heart above all else”. But how!?
I’ve found my answer:
Continue reading “Guard Your Heart”
Seeds In My Heart 