This last week has been such a deep reminder of God’s love especially in suffering. It’s easy to feel anything but loved when we are hurting, broken and lost. But it’s in those moments that God’s love is revealed in the most unique and compassionate ways. Sometimes we might not even feel His presence, but He is there, always close to the broken hearted. Sometimes we might see our circumstances as a punishment, but He disciplines those He loves. Sometimes we can’t hear Him through all the chaos, but He is there in the stillness, whispering words of love and encouragement. When we take a moment to look at our…

This life will hand out all types of circumstances and situations that will play an important part in our refining. You’ve often heard the saying, “On this hand you have….. and on the other hand you have……..” it’s a reminder that we always have the choice of how we will respond to our life issues. In writing this I was thinking of Joni Eareckson Tada, who at the age of 17 became a quadriplegic after a tragic diving accident. It’s hard to imagine that kind of suffering, but her trials were only beginning. She’s faced a lifetime of disability, cancer diagnoses, chronic pain, and more. She had a choice to…

At some time in our lives we have all felt that life was unfair. Something that we worked so hard for was easily given to someone else. Opportunities were offerred to others because of who they knew not what they could accomplish. Troubles always seen to fall us and we just can’t catch a break. If you’ve had any of those thoughts you know what it feels like when life is unfair. In our own circumstances it’s easy for us to judge what is fair and what is unfair. But when we look at them through our limited view we can miss God’s provision, protection and blessing especially in the…

In this fast paced world, waiting is not something we desire or like to practice. Instant gratification has become the challenge. The quicker the better. That mindset isn’t just for shopping, food or service, but it crosses over to our spiritual life as well. We want prayers answered quickly. We want problems fixed immediately. We want suffering to be kept at a minimum. No one wants to suffer.  But as believers, we are able to rejoice, even in times of suffering. Why?  How?  Because we know.  We know that God always has a purpose in all things.  We know that suffering is productive (that is, suffering accomplishes something). And we know that in those things God is working…

The definition of survived is to continue to live or exist; to endure or live through. There is a realty TV show called Survivor where the contestants have to face several different challenges and do their best to survive. Sometimes life can feel like our own version of Survivor. We often face challenges that we expect along with surprises that test us in ways that push us to our limits. There are moments of victory and moments of defeat. In the song “Held,” by Natalie Grant that I memtioned yesterday, is a phrase that says, “this is how it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you…

Last week was such a beautiful week of revelation and in Godly fashion, it was in ways that I would never expect. While preparing for the weekly Grief Share meeting I was reviewing the material and came accoss a statement that I’d never noticed before. The statement simply said that a song had been written about the highlighted story of the week. I knew the song and was led to look up the lyrics and hear the song again and again. The song is called Held and is by Natalie Grant and speaks about the loss of a young child, the shock of the loss and the reality of where…

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.  He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.   This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.   Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. Acts 9:40-43 As you can imagine the raising of Dorcas (Tabitha) back to life must have been heard all over town. Dorcas had shown…

To “Die with your boots on” is an idiom referring to dying while fighting or to die while actively occupied/employed/working or in the middle of some action. A person who dies with their boots on keeps working to the end, as in “He’ll never quit—he’ll die with his boots on.” I recently saw this reference in the life of my friend’s husband. He had been diagnosed with cancer in January and given only 5-8 weeks to live. By the grace of God he lived a little over 8 months. During those God gifted months he never ceased praying for others and posting words of encouragement. He used every precious minute…