Faith
Speaking Blessings Over Your Family Members
The words of a loved one have a lot of weight and power. I’m sure you’ve had a loved one say something to you that hurt. Whether intentionally or intentionally, those words have stuck with you. But also, the words of a loved one can bring healing and purpose and encouragement to us. They can make us stand a little taller, feel like we can climb any mountain. In Genesis 2, God breathed life into Adam, and we can breathe life and encouragement into the hearts of our loved ones. Doubts and insecurities can creep into our minds and hearts, and a person in authority speaking God’s truths to us can do wonders for our hearts, minds, and spirits. The heart is what God cares about above all else, and the heart is where the Spirit of God speaks. We can offer compliments and praise, which can go to the minds and egos of the listener. But a blessing is a truth spoken to the heart and the Spirit of another person, based on the very word of God.
Praying ScriptureWhen You Find Yourself Asking God "Why?"
When something unexpected happens in our life, or in our world, it's easy for us to ask God why it happened. We want to live the blessed "abundant life" (John 10:10b) that Jesus said He was bringing, and we forget that He also told us that "in this world, you will have trouble," John 16:33. We forget that all our favorite Bible characters had their share of struggles and grief and hard circumstances. Sometimes they experienced struggles for decades before they saw God's plan come to pass in their life. When both of my sons began to receive diagnosis after diagnosis, I continually asked God "Why? Why my child? Why both of my children? Why me? Why don't you heal them? Why is this special needs parenting thing so hard? Why do you feel so far away?" After months and months of pleading these questions and God not giving me an answer, I experienced a crisis of faith that scared me.
PerseveranceWhat God Wants Us To Experience From Nature
I met up with a friend from college recently and we decided to spend the afternoon at a lake. We enjoyed dipping our toes into the cold water. Walking barefoot on the rocky sand. Feeling the sun on our faces. Sitting on a large rock and admiring the beauty of the lake and the wildlife we saw. Chatting and connecting with each other, and also just sitting comfortably in silence, in our own thoughts, our own time with God. We felt a peace we haven't in a while in our busy lives. We were able to take deep breaths and just be still in the beauty and the peace of the lake. I started to think about what it is about nature that we are so very drawn to. People love going to the mountains, the beach, lakes, hiking, etc. We find it peaceful. Rejuvenating. Majestic. Awe-inspiring. Powerful. And I realized that we are drawn to nature for two important reasons: Nature is a concrete way to grasp the abstract qualities of God.
NatureFour Things About Easter Judas Never Experienced
I've been reading the historical fiction book Iscariot: A Novel of Judas by Tosca Lee . It is interesting to think about what Judas may have been like and his motivations that led to him betraying Jesus. But all I could think about while reading (and maybe it's because I'm reading it during Holy Week, just before Resurrection Sunday) is how Judas missed it. Judas missed all that Jesus came to do. And I pray that I won't miss it this Easter/Lenten season, or ever. And I pray that you won't either. For thirty pieces of silver (approximately $10,000 today— the cost of a slave according to Exodus 21:32) Judas betrayed Jesus. Judas admits his sin and tries to rectify it by returning the money to the high priests, but the priests refuse to accept the money back or to let Jesus go. So what does Judas do? He kills himself (Matthew 27:1-5) and he misses the fact that Jesus would forgive him. On the cross Jesus prays to God to " Forgive these people because they know not what they do " Luke 23:24.
LentEncouragement For When Life Is Hard and You Feel Broken
When we are going through hard or challenging situations, it is easy to question why God would allow such hard things to happen. Or when we're still struggling with the same issues years later, we question why God isn't helping us more. We question if He really is a good God. We feel shattered and broken and beyond repair. We want our lives to be easy and perfect, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Jesus told us we would have trouble, but He also said He would be our peace in our trouble John 16:33. Our Bible heroes all experienced their share of trials and tribulations. Heaven is our home, where things will be perfect, but while we are here on earth, we will see and experience brokenness all around us. But the good news is that the brokenness has a purpose. It drives us closer to God. It gives us stories to share with others to encourage them in their own brokenness. It gives us a new purpose and motivation. And best of all, God does not abandon us in our brokenness.
BrokenWhat It Means to Trust The Good Shepherd
Life has been hard lately, and I've found myself clinging to Psalm 23. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He lies me down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul." Oh, that sounds so good. But if I'm truly honest, I don't feel those things most of the time. I know it's available, but I don't feel the peace and the nourishment and the restoration of my soul. But I surely do feel that valley. I feel like an antsy sheep, not at peace to lie down. And there are lots of things I want. Lots. And I think, am I doing something wrong? No, I don't think so. The more I read my Bible, the more I see the struggles that all our Bible heroes had in their lives. Their times of struggle and hardship, and sometimes waiting decades for God's plan to come through. It does, but not without some pain. And I believe they trust God, but they're not necessarily feeling Him close by and restoring their soul every single step of the way.
PerseveranceReleasing Pain and Embracing God's Victory
David had a lot of crazy stuff happen to him before he became king. King Saul, his own father-in-law and the father of his best friend Jonathan, became jealous of David. Saul wanted David dead and chased him into a desert with an army of 600 of his finest men. David spent four years alone in that desert, being chased by Saul's army, and then another couple years settled in a town with a few wives and an army of misfits like him. He was appointed to be king, and yet he wasn't living a life of royalty. Talk about feeling betrayed, alone, wondering why God would choose him to be king and then bring all this upon him. And then, as if that wasn't enough, in 1 Samuel 30:3-6 we find that David and his men returned from fighting and found that where they had camped and left their families had been burned, and their wives and children were taken. When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more.
ReleaseWhen You Find Yourself Asking God "Don't You Care?"
Have you ever felt let down by God, because something in life didn't go the way you planned? Have you ever wondered if God really cares because He seems very silent or distant to your current struggles? I have. As a special needs mother with two precious boys with special needs , I have questioned if God cared about our family every time another diagnosis, another hardship, another struggle came our way. I was relieved to see that other Bible heroes voiced this same exact question to Jesus. First, in Mark 4:35-38 when the disciples and Jesus were on the boat and a storm hit and the disciples were terrified while Jesus slept peacefully. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" they demanded. And secondly, in Luke 10:38-40, Martha is bustling about making last minute preparations to feed at least thirteen hungry men supper, while her sister is sitting around.
PerseveranceEmbracing Courage Rather Than Your Comfort Zone
"You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you can't have both." -Brene Brown I was so encouraged by the above quote. I printed it out and put it above my desk determined to choose courage rather than comfort. But the courage never seemed to come. I spent the next few months in my all-too-familiar comfort zone, watching my dreams come no closer to fruition. I prayed for courage. I would fully admit to others I was struggling with fear. I memorized and prayed scriptures about fear . But still, I stayed in my comfort zone. One day, I was journaling about my idols and how they were keeping me from reaching my dreams. An idol is anything that takes the place of God. As much as we may love God, we all turn to other things that feel more comfortable and enjoyable than God. So anyway, I was writing my list of idols. Fear was top of my list. So was social media and certain TV shows I'd binge watch instead of following my dreams. Even coffee and chocolate made the list.
CourageWhen God Doesn't Move Your Mountain
I grew up believing in God and experiencing God's blessings. Then when I became a mother, God suddenly felt very far away. Both of my boys, born two years apart, received various diagnoses, that kept me busy running to non-stop specialists, speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy appointments. I did lots of research, figuring out strategies and tools and supplements that might help my boys. I prayed often for their healing. For wisdom about what to do to help my boys. And I only experienced God's silence. I struggled with anxiety and depression and prayed desperately for God to remove them. He didn't—at least not right away and not in the way I expected. I experienced a crisis of faith in which I wavered between wondering if God was good, to clinging to Him in desperation, and scariest of all, to wondering if He even existed.
PersevanceThe Four Reasons You Aren't Following Your God-Given Dream
God is the giver of dreams, and one day He will drop one into your heart that both excites and terrifies you. You may jump all in and follow your God-given dream or hesitate to get started, but at some point at least one of these four things will come up that will make you procrastinate on your dream: Fear is rampant, but lately, so are all the messages to overcome your fear with faith. Blog posts, books, podcasts, shirts, all declaring we are fearless, we are courageous, we are warriors, we can #doitscared. You may be struggling with one fear or many, but fear is paralyzing and will stop you in your tracks, preventing you from doing the very thing God has called you to do. When the fear hits, you must replace it with God's truth. Remind yourself that you have been called and equipped to do what He has called you to do. Remind yourself that you must be obedient to the calling God has given, regardless of your fear. Pray for boldness and courage and for a reminder of God's truths.
CourageHow to Trust God Like Ruth
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to Ruth from the Bible. Her devotion to her mother-in-law is inspiring. Her happily ever after is beautiful. But I've been thinking about what qualities I so admire in her. And I think it is simply that she simply put one foot in front of the other, trusting God with everything she did, without expecting a reward. That's it. When her husband died, she could have been consumed by that circumstance. Wallowed in self-pity. Thought the world and God owed her more than she had gotten. She could have gotten stuck in a pit of grief and bitterness like Naomi did. Now I’m sure she grieved. Grief is normal and healthy. Even Jesus experienced grief. Ruth just chose to not get stuck there. She decides to wipe her tears and embrace the life and the blessings she has. And she determines to remain true to the family she married into.
PerseveranceVerses to Remind You of Your Spiritual Identity
Several years ago, I joined a group for Christian moms of young children. At the beginning of the first meeting we were to introduce ourselves to the other moms at our round table by saying our name, how many children we have, and three facts about ourselves. When it was my turn I said, “My name is Jenn and I have two boys and I’m a special needs mom and … um …” I froze. My life revolved around both of my young sons’ endless needs and appointments, and I couldn’t think of a single other thing to say about me. The table leader gently added, “And you’re a beloved child of God,” before calling on the next mom to introduce herself. I smiled gratefully at her, but the whole situation and her words left my mind whirling. How easy it is to become consumed by our hard circumstances. To get lost in our labels and end up losing track of our true identity. Or how easy it is to claim our insecurities as part of our identity and forget how God feels about us.
Praying ScriptureHow Comparison Keeps Us From God's Best
Eleanor Roosevelt once said: "Comparison is the thief of joy." Whether you've heard that expression or not, I'm sure you've experienced before just how comparison can rob you of joy. We all do it. We compare ourselves to others. We view something someone has or does as better than us. And we feel jealous and insecure. But then we compare ourselves to someone else and we find we're better at something than them, and so we judge them and feel better about ourselves. We're continually trying to keep the scale of comparison balanced at the expense of others and ourselves. But the scale only keeps tipping back and forth. It's exhausting. But God does not want us to compare ourselves to others. Everyone in the Bible who compared themselves to someone else missed out on what God had for them.
Contentment6 Reassuring Bible Verses for When You're Feeling Anxious
I am not a stranger to anxiety. When I was growing up, it simply came and went depending on various situations I was in. But shortly after my second son was born, I found myself battling a whole new type of anxiety. I found it hard to sleep, and when I was able to sleep in between the anxiety and the newborn nighttime feedings, I had terrifying dreams. I felt paralyzed to make decisions and was constantly fearful of something bad happening to my husband or my young children. I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and put on medication. About two years later, as that anxiety became more manageable, I found myself struggling with a whole new type of anxiety after both of my sons began receiving diagnosis after diagnosis and my life became filled with a million appointments (or so it felt), and a constant worry I wasn’t doing enough for my children. The anxiety crippled my mind, my sleep, and my body as I found myself experiencing stress-related health issues.
ReleaseEmbracing God's Love
Have you ever questioned if God really loves you? If He really cares? I know I have. Especially when I'm going through a hard time. I remember many years ago I was experiencing an unusually hard day as I was caring for my two young sons with special needs. Amidst all the day's challenges and struggles I asked/demanded God, “Where are you in all of this? Do you even care? Are you really a good God?” I desperately wanted to be alone with God, but the kiddos needed dinner and attention. And then, when bedtime rolled around my young son shared something with me that made me realize just how very much we are loved by God. After my older son, about four years old at the time, was all snuggled in bed and we had read his book before bed, we prayed together. Sometimes I did the praying, sometimes I did it fill-in-the-blank style as he could only say one or two-word phrases at the time. I decided to go with the fill-in-the-blank prayer. I prompted him, “Thank You, God, for ______.
LoveSeasoning Your Life with Grace and Truth
In John 8 we meet a woman. We don’t know her name or much about her at all, except for her sin. She was caught in adultery, and religious leaders (and probably a crowd interested in seeing a woman stoned) gathered around her, shouting truth at her. “You were caught in adultery. The law of Moses says you should be stoned.” They had rocks in their hands. Anger and smugness on their faces. And then Jesus came along. The Pharisees demanded Jesus decide if Moses’ law should be carried out. Jesus stooped down to write something in the ground. Her life was now in the hands of this man. The Pharisees expected Jesus to back them up, and if He did, her life would end. “All right,” He finally said, standing again. Her heart plummeted at those words. “But, let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” She held her breath waiting for rocks to fall to the ground, or for the pain of one to be flung at her body. But one by one the stones were dropped and the crowd dispersed.
MinistryEmbracing Your Unique Way Of Worshipping God
Worship is the feeling or expression of adoring God. We use the word worship to talk about the music portion of a church service, but it really is so much more than that. It is any way of expressing your love and desire to connect with God using a way that is unique to you. As I looked through Instagram one day, I stumbled upon a feed full of gorgeous Bible art. Bible scenes and verses were painted beautifully on the margins of the Bible and I’ll admit it—I was jealous. The only thing I do in my Bible is underline things that speak to me, but I don’t write a single word, let alone paint or draw or put on stickers. That weekend at church, I watched as a woman used sign language to beautifully sing along with the worship. I found myself mesmerized, watching her sign to the Lord. I know about 200 signs, but right then and there, I was jealous and ready to sign up for a sign language course and become fluent so I could worship that way too. Now, like any good Christian, I didn’t want to be jealous.
MinistryHow to Know and Use Your Spiritual Gifts
We give gifts because we want to bless someone. We're excited to see how they will respond to and use a gift we think they will enjoy. Sometimes we can be just as excited about giving someone a gift (and how they will react to it) as we are about receiving gifts of our own. And that got me thinking about our spiritual gifts. God chose to bless each of us with spiritual gifts based on how we were uniquely made and crafted. I imagine God gets excited about blessing us with our spiritual gifts and seeing us use them, and He gets disappointed when He sees we're not using them. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! First of all, we know that every single one of us is made unique. "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.
MinistryHow to be Faithful and Obedient Like Nehemiah and Esther
Esther is one of my favorite heroines in the Bible. And several weeks ago, I was rereading the book of Nehemiah. This time, I couldn't help but see all the similarities between Nehemiah and Esther. How they were in the exact place God needed them to be to do something mighty for Him. How they were able to overcome their fear and face the King. How they faced opposition. And how they were able to do something mighty for God by fasting, praying and being obedient to what they believed God was calling them to do. Both Nehemiah and Esther were Jews living in the Persian empire. Both found themselves in the palace of the king, one as the king's wife, and the other as the king's cupbearer. Both were favored, but they had to show utmost respect to the king, to wait until they were summoned to approach the king, and were aware that there could be dire consequences for disobeying or disrespecting the king. It is in this place, that both are presented with information that greatly impact their Jewish people.
MinistryHow Are You Responding To God's Call?
I'll be honest, I've been struggling quite a bit with obedience. God has called me to do something that terrifies me. And as is often the case, God has brought a few messages to my heart from a passage I've read countless times. Recently I've been studying a few chapters of Exodus. More specifically Exodus 19-20 and Exodus 32-33. This is when Moses goes up Mount Sinai to meet with God and receive the Ten Commandments. And then while Moses is on Mount Sinai and the Israelites fear Moses isn't returning, they build the golden calf. And I keep rereading this all too familiar passage, with the following questions in mind: Where were the Israelites, Moses, Aaron and Joshua physically during this whole 40 day period?,Where were the Israelites, Moses, Aaron and Joshua spiritually during this whole 40 day period?,Were they doing what God had asked them to do?,Were they where God asked them to be? God shows up in Exodus 19 on Mount Sinai.
Obedience5 Ways to Draw Near to God When He Feels Far Away
You love God with all your heart and soul and mind, and then life happens. Whether it's the busyness of life, or something painful happened in your life, it's not hard to find yourself not connecting with God like you did before. God feels far away, and your desire to read your Bible or pray or go to church is no longer a desire of your heart but rather a chore. I've been there. I kept waiting for something magical to happen, that I'd instantly feel connected with God again. The magical something never happened. Nope, we have to be intentional about rekindling that relationship. It isn't easy. It isn't always fun. But it will be worth it! God wants to have a personal relationship with Him. He wants us to talk to Him and praise Him and trust Him. As it says in James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." If you're longing for God to draw near to you, here are five ways I have personally found to draw near to Him, especially when He feels far away.
ConnectionHow to Treasure Christ at Christmas When Life is Hard
When I first held my precious son in my arms, I had dreams of what he would do and become. I didn't expect that within the first four years of his life my son would receive six diagnoses that would make some of my dreams for him close to impossible. I never dreamed that I would experience the sorrows and struggles and overwhelming anxieties that come with being a special needs parent . And I definitely didn't expect that a few years later, his little brother would receive a few diagnosis of his own. I found myself in an unexpected cycle of grief as playdates were replaced with endless appointments, and I watched my sons fall further and further behind their peers developmentally. The holidays can be a time when our griefs and struggles get amplified. We can feel overwhelmed with Christmas plans and expectations, or feel isolated and alone in our grief. In either case, God feels far away and we feel far from celebrating.
AdventLearning to Savor God's Grace
The other day I attempted to make red velvet cupcakes. From scratch. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm not much of a baker or cook and hubby has a few stories he could share with you about epic flops I've had in the kitchen. But somehow I got it in my mind to make red velvet cupcakes from scratch. Sure, they tasted wonderful. But in the process of making them, I got red stains on my fingers, my elbow, my cheek, my shirt, and a few rosy splotches on my counter as well. (In case you're concerned, the stains are slowly fading each day as I scrub on them with various cleansing concoctions I learned thanks to Google.) But anyway, there I was on red velvet cupcake baking day, red-fingered, staring at red spots on my counter, feeling a little bit (ok a lot) like a failure. But I was determined to see this through, so I opened up the jar of white cream cheese frosting, grabbed a knife, and swirled it over each and every cupcake.
SalvationLearning to Embrace Life and Trust God When Life is Hard
When I learned I was going to become a mother, the excitement was indescribable. I imagined the things I would do with my child, the play dates, the art projects we could do, the books we’d read, and places we would go. When a sweet baby boy was placed in my arms, I was instantly in love and had found a new purpose for my life. Two years later, we added another precious baby boy to our family. But before I’d even had a chance to get into the swing of being of a mother of two, my two-year-old son received a devastating diagnosis. Within the next two years, both boys would have a dozen diagnoses between them. My daydreams of motherhood were shattered, replaced with endless therapy appointments, battles with insurance companies and doctors, and an overwhelming loneliness I didn’t know how to handle. My emotional, spiritual, and physical health were deteriorating under the stress. Anxiety and depression took turns settling in and making themselves cozy.
PerseveranceHow to Nurture the Fruit of the Spirit in Your Children
I’ll admit, it is easy to focus our time and attention on our children’s personalities and development and behaviors and skills and busy schedules and overlook the fact that we should be teaching and nurturing in our children the quality traits that matter most to God. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 After I had the revelation that I was focused more on my children's physical development than their heart and their spiritual and character development, I decided I wanted to became much more intentional about teaching my children about the fruit of the Spirit.
ParentingEmbracing Our Roles to Cultivate a Godly Marriage
I love my husband dearly. But like most couples, we are opposites in many ways. No matter how much we argued or discussed the areas we differed or wanted the other to be more like us, neither of us changed, because neither of us could change how God created us. Or the roles that God gave us. "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and protect it ." Genesis 2:15 God designed our husband to provide for his family . Yes, sometimes our lives demand that both husband and wife work. Or if there is no husband in the picture or he is not working, the woman must work to provide for her family. But if your husband is fulfilling his role of providing for his family, of bringing home a paycheck that pays your bills and puts food on the table, well then he is fulfilling his role as the provider. And the second role Genesis 2:15 says the man is to protect his home and family . A husband fulfilling this role will have different ways of doing that.
MarriageRecommended Books for Nurturing the Christian Woman's Heart and Faith
I dunno about you, but I love reading, especially reading books that will nurture my faith and my heart. Yet no matter how much I read, my to-read list always seems to be getting longer and longer. There's just so many good books out there, and in case you're looking for a good book (or several!) to encourage your heart here's a few of my recent favorites in no particular order. (Last updated February 2022) Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. You can see all of my favorite books on Amazon here . Thank you for your support! A Confident Heart by Renee Swope. Man oh man, did this book help me deal with some insecurity issues I didn't even know how to tackle. It was an encouraging read that I actually read several years ago, but reread recently and gleaned so much from it both times I've read it!, Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund.
BooksReleasing Negative Thinking and Embracing A Renewed Mind
I once watched a beautiful French commercial for Dove soap , in which women were asked to write in a journal every time they had a thought about themselves and turn the journals in. Later on, two actresses were chosen to memorize lines from these journals, and were told they would say them aloud to each other in a coffee shop. One actress asked the director "I have to say that? But it's so horrible!" After memorizing their lines, the two actresses sat in a coffee shop, where all the other women who had written down their thoughts were also sitting and enjoying coffee. The women were all appalled to hear the things the actresses said to each other and one stood up and told the actresses to stop because they were being "harsh" and "violent." It is absolutely crazy the things we say to ourselves sometimes. We say things to ourselves we would never say to another human being, and then we wonder why we feel lost, stuck, not good enough, etc. We doubt that God can love us.
ReleaseReleasing Worry and Embracing God's Peace
I read a meme once that said that a worried mother can do more research and find more answers than the FBI. And I have to admit, it feels true in my life. I'm sure the FBI do a fabulous job of researching and finding answers. My job is to take care of my two children who both have special needs, and so I am constantly consulting Google to learn more about what could help my children, and it's also easy for me to find hundreds of things to worry about regarding them and their future. No matter your worry or your anxiety, I'm sure you can relate to the desperate search for answers and solutions to whatever you are worried about. Jesus told a parable about a sower spreading seed in Mark 4. The sower represents God, and the seed is the word of God, His promises and truths. There was a group of people who never really received the word. There were others who heard the word, but didn't really rely on the word and they died.
ReleaseCultivating a Heart of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I am super excited. I love the fun times with family gathered around the table. The food, oh my goodness, the food! Potatoes and turkey and stuffing (oh my!) smothered in gravy. Pumpkin pie smothered in Cool Whip—yes please!! (Though in our family, we make this pumpkin cheesecake instead of pumpkin pie). And I adore the season. The crisp weather, the kaleidoscopic display of leaves contrasting the beautiful blue sky. Sigh. But what I love most is the spirit of Thanksgiving. Of cherishing all the good things in your life. Of utter and complete contentment and peace with the awareness of how blessed we are. Honestly, I wish every day was Thanksgiving. Not the whole smorgasboard of food each day (though I honestly wouldn't complain, I love Thanksgiving dinner!), but I wish each day we simply took time to acknowledge the things we were thankful for. That we would cultivate a heart of thankfulness daily.
ThanksgivingEmbracing Contentment in Our Circumstances
I remember being so overwhelmed with anxiety and so desperate for peace in my circumstances, that I looked up every verse I could find about peace. There is a plethora of verses. Peace is definitely something God wants us to have in our life. But no matter how many verses I read about peace, I just wasn't experiencing it. I stumbled across Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow , a book I HIGHLY recommend. Every chapter had tidbits that I underlined and treasured, but there was one chapter that transformed my view of peace. It was an entire chapter about being content in your circumstances, and that contentment brings about peace. In this chapter, she describes a woman named Ella, a missionary in Africa for 52 years, who raised her family in Africa despite the extreme heat and no modern conveniences we enjoy, such as electricity and indoor plumbing and of course, air conditioning. Here's what Linda Dillow says, "Ella's daughter, Mimi is my friend.
ContentmentThe 5 Benefits of Memorizing Scripture
Memorizing God's Word helps your heart to be molded more like God's . As David said in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.” David memorized, sang, wrote about, and recited the very Word of God and was known as a man after God’s own heart. The more of God’s Word you have in your heart, the more your heart will be like His. , Memorizing Scripture helps you refute Satan's lies and attacks. When Satan tempted Jesus three times in the desert in both Matthew and Luke 4, Jesus responded not with His own arguments, which Satan could argue, but with the very Word of God. He modeled for us what Paul urges us to do in Ephesians 6-to put on the armor of God and to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God .” (Ephesians 6:16, emphasis mine). We use our weapon, the very Word of God, to tell Satan and ourselves God's truth when Satan whispers lies to us.
Praying ScriptureHow To Move Forward In Ministry Like Jesus
It's a new year and a new opportunity to dedicate our plans and our ministries to God. No matter what time of year it is you read this, or whether you are about to launch a new ministry, or already involved in one (or several!) there are many things we can learn from how Jesus began His own ministry to incorporate into our own. We're going to take a journey through Mark 1—when Jesus began His ministry—to set the tone for our own. Whether our ministry is in prisons or churches or organizations, or in our homes, our own businesses, or our blogs, we are all called to minister to others wherever we go. We all have a ministry, or several. And there's nothing quite like learning how to move forward in our ministries than to learn from the best minister ever, Jesus. He knew what it meant to be about His Father's business, and His ministry left such an impact on the world it still affects millions of people all over the world centuries later.
MinistryReleasing Expectations and Embracing God's Plan
I'm sure we've all had expectations and we've gotten upset when our expectations weren't met. For example, I expected to do lots of fun things with my children, go on lots of play dates and adventures. Instead, my children require frequent trips to specialists and therapists due to their special needs. And my reaction was one of anger at God. Anxiety. And depression. Not fun, right? I was stuck in that unfun place because I was holding onto my expectations and mad that God didn't give me what I wanted. I was stuck in that place for a long time, until one December I read an all-too-familiar Bible story, but looked at it from Mary's perspective. Here was a young girl who expected to marry Joseph. As a former teenager, I'm positive she daydreamed about her wedding day, about Joseph being a loving husband, of having children, especially sons and of being a good wife and mother. I doubt she had huge dreams for her life, but she envisioned it with love and marriage before the baby carriage.
ReleaseReleasing Fear and Embracing God
This blog has always been about embracing things in life. But I'm learning you can't fully embrace something if you're clinging closely to something that is not good for you. The next few months we'll be talking about a few things we need to release, so we can fully embrace God, life and the blessings and circumstances in our life. And to start it all off, we're starting with the big one: fear. Embedded in Luke 7:11-17 is a scene that I think would be awesome to witness. A widow, already mourning the loss of her husband and source of provision, loses her only son and any hope she had for her future. When Jesus sees her crying his "heart was overwhelmed with compassion." (By the way, his heart feels that way about us when we're going through our own storms and struggles.) The widow's son is lying lifeless in his coffin, and Jesus tells him to rise. And he does! Imagine the collective gasp as the crowd witnessed the son pop his head out of the coffin—the murmurs and the awe and surprise and even fear.
ReleaseEmbracing Invitation
For the past several years I’ve had one New Year’s Resolution: Make a Meaningful Connection with 100 People in a Year. I’ve learned a lot over the past several years of widening my circle, like to pay attention to the people who are celebrating and join them. I’ve learned to also pay attention to those grieving and meet them there. I’ve learned that I have to hack the art of following up a bit, and help myself remember important things with scheduled texts and reminders. I also learned that I was wrong when I thought people generally fell into two camps: the Invited and the Uninvited. There’s a third camp, actually, and I’m guessing this is where you fall too. I’m willing to bet that you are an Inviter. Don’t believe me? What if I remind you that you bear the image of an Inviter? You were carefully crafted in the image of the One who left Heaven to come to Earth in order that you might enter in relationship with Him.
MinistryEmbracing Soul Care When You're Going Through the Unexpected
I thought I knew everything about how to live a life of faith and hope. I’m that person who once thought they had it all together - until I was diagnosed with the devastating news of having stage III oral cancer. My life was instantly turned upside down. An 8-hour surgery, treatment, scars, disfigurement, and recovery, followed by more illnesses, quickly overwhelmed my once optimistic outlook. The plans and dreams I once had vanished overnight. Within days, my physical condition went from strong and healthy to being a cancer patient undergoing surgery and treatment that affected me permanently - mentally, emotionally, and physically. What arose were deep feelings of loss, overwhelm, anxiousness, discouragement, disappointment, exhaustion, physical pain, numbness, and many tears because of the broken dreams, cancelled plans, unmet expectations, and embarrassment about what others might think about how I sounded, looked, or ate.
Self-careWhat Does It Mean To Be Saved?
What does it mean to be saved? What is salvation, and how do we get it? My journey to understand these concepts began from childhood. I grew up in a Catholic background, believing in and loving God and Jesus with all my young heart. I loved learning more about God and Jesus and my faith, and I was one of those kids who knew all the answers in Sunday school. Salvation is the deliverance from sin (wrongdoing and the guilt that comes from it) and its consequences . In the Catholic faith, the seven sacraments are very foundational to the faith and lead us toward salvation. Sacraments include being baptized as an infant, receiving holy communion, confession of our sins to the priest, etc. In 8th grade we went through rigorous study to prepare ourselves for the sacrament of confirmation. Confirmation is when we decide for ourselves that we accept the Catholic faith and share our dedication to it in front of friends and family and the church members.
SalvationThree Ways Christian Moms Can Practice Self-Care
This mom thing is a hard gig. Sure, it's got its rewards, but it can be exhausting, and you can lose yourself in it. You can become so consumed in parenting that you forget who you are and what you're passionate about. It's easy to live in survival mode and forget that God has called us to a life of abundance and joy. And the best way I've found to find that joy and abundance is by taking a little bit of time to focus on ourselves. Yeah, I admit it feels totally selfish to practice self-care when we have an endless list of things to do and our children need so much of us and we want to spend time with our husbands too. It may feel counter-intuitive to plan how to do more of what makes us feel good, instead of doing more for our family. But, more than likely your husband and your children and the people around you want to see you happy. A happy mom makes a happy home. And if you take time to refill your cup, then you have more good things to pour out to others.
Self-careHow to Choose Your One Word Resolution for the Year
Choosing a godly characteristic that God wants for you in your life truly has the ability to transform your life. Seriously. Resolutions are hard to keep. Goals are hard to meet, no matter how many action steps you plan. I'm not telling you this to discourage you from making them. I'm simply saying, if you really want to meet all of your goals, choosing ONE WORD to be your focus will help you meet a lot more goals than simply making goals such as I will finish writing that book and I will lose weight. But if you choose a word such as Discipline for the year, it would help keep you focused to be disciplined to work out, eat healthy and write. You may not work out and write every day, but you would be much more likely to get back in the habit, because you are focused on your one word, and as an awesome bonus, you may see that word spill out into other areas of your life too. Score! Yep! This doesn't have to be a New Years thing. I had the word Victory as my word for about two years.
ResolutionHow to Embrace God When You Need Healing
There is a story in the Bible that I love in Mark 5:24-34. This is the story of a woman who had been suffering a bleeding issue for 12 years and who with great faith, experienced more types of healing than she originally hoped and prayed for. This woman was not only physically unwell (imagine the weakness that comes from a ceaseless menstrual flow for twelve years without iron supplements, imagine the continual cleansing of clothes and self) but she was also considered culturally unclean. According to the laws in Leviticus 15:19-30, she was to remain away from other people so as to not make them unclean. A law meant to protect the people from unsanitary conditions when there were no pads or tampons, became one that caused the culture to judge and isolate her from friends and family for over a decade. Like this woman, I have felt isolated from friends and family because of this special needs journey. They don't understand what our journey is like. We don't have the time or energy to meet with others.
Healing