A Better Story – Part 2 Digging Up the Destructive Root of Bitterness Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:15b (NLT) I have yet to meet an individual who hasn’t navigated situations holding the capacity to sow seeds of bitterness into the soul. Bottled up […]
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. Oh my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:5,8 “A Better Story”. I heard these words bravely venture from the mouth of a woman I love. A
I think I’ve misunderstood the will of God as something evasive, lofty and a bit terrifying. Now I realize it is more like a partnership. Jesus offers us His power (see last week’s post) and simply asks us to be attentive and responsive to his nudging. If we don’t ignore it, we will witness life-change
I wandered onto the beach near Florence, Oregon. The crashing waves and the song of the seagulls became a soundtrack to my imaginations. In the distance, I noticed an array of large, beach towels stretched on the warm sand. Walking closer, their identity emerged. Limp and lifeless kites basked in the sun. I dropped onto
One might expect our journey towards God’s purposes would equate to smooth sailing on gentle waters. However, my journey into God’s purposes has been inter-woven with dark threads of pain: the death of a daughter, marital pain, miscarriage, loss of ministry and several relocations far from the support of family and friends. Those stark threads,
We all have them. Decisions that carry a lot of weight. They could be financial decisions, geographical decisions, spiritual decisions, relational decisions. You know you’re facing a hard decision when it keeps you up at night wondering the right road to take. They can cause division in a home, anxiety in the gut, and weariness
I purchased a notebook a couple years ago where I keep a list of sorts. I call it my Thanksgiving journal. To date I’ve listed #1792 gifts. The concept of listing these gifts that enter my life each day came to my attention through Ann Voskamp’s classic, One Thousand Gifts. The great big, Greek word
I’ve never met a person who doesn’t long to witness a miracle—blind eyes seeing, a lame person walking, a beloved friend healed of cancer. I’ve read, however, the pre- requisite to a miracle is a problem. You can’t have one without the other—and most of us are not lining up for more problems. Scripture encourages
I tentatively opened my summer box. It required an extra dose of courage to yank the first pair of shorts over my hips. Certainly, they shrunk in the dryer last fall (along with the next ten articles after them). In a state of defiance, I marched to the gym scale the next day. Denial melted
(Part 2 – Trials – the Secret Ingredient to a Full Life) For you know when your faith is tested, your endurance has a change to grow. James 1:3 How did I miss this lesson—that trees need wind for their roots to deepen? Regular, pounding winds cause the roots to thrust downward into bedrock earth,