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Letting God Off the Hook and Placing Him On the Throne
I was four years old when I threw the temper tantrum of a lifetime. The one that would trigger every emotional meltdown for decades to come. The fit in which every four year old fear would later ignite every teenage insecurity, every twenty something stupidity, every thirty something full-circle moment, and every forty something failure…
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Spiritual Doormats
Christianity is often misunderstood as a religion that requires you to function as a metaphorical doormat. Words like surrender, submission, and subjugation are grossly misinterpreted by society apart from the counsel of the Holy Spirit. In communities void of the Spirit, Christian meekness becomes synonymous with weakness and truth seekers appear to bear the muddy…
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Afraid to Cry
Crying is as natural and common as sneezing, yet we tend to avoid it, at least publicly, at all costs. Ever wonder why we instinctively try to hold back our tears? Why do we feel the need to apologize when tears overtake our ability to speak? Are we afraid of what tears might reveal about…
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Uprooted Hope Can Bloom Again — Even in the Soil of Grief
“And now there remain: faith . . . hope . . . love . . . these three [the choicest graces]” (1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP) I vividly remember the shell-shocked feeling of disbelief after receiving the phone call — the words that introduced me to the deepest grief I have ever known. My only brother…
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Fasting to Feasting—Lent as a Snapshot of the Christian Journey of Faith
If you’ve ever dabbled in photography (as it appears most of us have with our smartphones) or been the one with three cameras and a bag draped around your neck at a sporting event, you understand a photographer’s quest to capture the perfect snapshot. The shot that brings life into crystal clear focus while also…
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The Deep and Hidden Gifts of Grief
Perhaps only a few who have endured the heavy hand of grief would ever consider it a gift. We give gifts because we are thankful, thoughtful, loving and kind. We give gifts to celebrate moments and milestones. Gifts surprise us, bless us and fill us with gratitude. So how could grief possibly be considered a…
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Help, I Have No Peace!
When my children were very young, I remember stepping outside for a moment to take a breath of fresh air and then crying out to God with an exhale of, “I have no peace!” While this may sound fairly common, yet quite relatable, to every mom of preschoolers, it was a profound moment of both…
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Shelter-In-His-Presence
As a global society, we have become all too familiar with what it means to shelter-in-place. The multiple hyphens in this phrase alone remind us of seemingly never ending days quarantined at home—in one place. By definition, shelter-in-place is the act of seeking safety within the building one already occupies, rather than evacuating the area or seeking…
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Pay Attention to How You Hear
What exactly makes a good listener? You might say it is someone who is compassionate, patient, and humble. Or maybe it has more to do with wisdom, life experience, and one’s ability to relate. Yet, perhaps the quality that makes the best kind of listener is the one who pays attention to how they hear.…
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The Simple Truth About Anger and Stones
I was so mad that I just wanted to throw something. It was one of those days when nothing seemed to go right at work, then home, then I had to deal with that child—the one who pushes all the buttons. It wasn’t necessarily the one thing. It was all the things that allowed the…
When Only Faith Remains
Encouraging and equipping believers to live immersed in God's choicest graces.
