In seasons of suffering, hope can be a difficult thing to hold on to and be fully convinced of. Seasons of hopefulness can turn into seasons of weariness, grief, doubt, and despair as suffering lingers. For years my husband and I have hoped to grow our family. But hope of
There we were, ready for a great dinner out with our friends. Then our waitress showed up. I don’t know if she was having a bad day or what, but she was not happy to be there. It started off with some shortness towards us, then some frustrated sighing, and
In the psychological world, I learned that one’s beliefs and cognitions influence behavior. I have found this theory and sentiment to be very true in my own life. For example, when I believe that I am a burden and that people do not care what I have to say,
Loss is something I have become very familiar with over the years. First, it was my dad, then my younger sister six months later . . . then my mom. I still remember each phone call I received, telling me I had yet again lost another family member. Within five
“He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the Lord’s strength, by the sovereign authority of the Lᴏʀᴅ his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth.” – Micah 5:4 I wonder, like me,
“For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” –2 Corinthians
Mary was just a girl. She wasn’t highly educated. She wasn’t wealthy. She wasn’t perfect. Mary was in many ways ordinary, except in one: she loved God greatly. And of all the young girls through all the ages, God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. What an incredible
Our front porch light burned out a few years ago. Soon after that, the floodlight above our garage also burned out, and it seems they don’t make that model anymore. Did I mention that we live in Eastern Europe on a dirt road with absolutely no city lights? Darkness. Complete
Once upon a time, a much younger me stood in a hospital gift shop in Dallas, Texas and bought a small plaque that had this verse engraved on it: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1 After much
I’ve never studied or prayed more about peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation like I have since walking through divorce. I never knew how enormous the wake of destruction that divorce leaves behind until I experienced it myself. Culture loves to water down the consequences of sin, but the Bible is clear