Hope On The Road Less Traveled
To say it’s been a fight for faith is an understatement. Not because this has been the most painful season of my life, but because of the longevity, depth, and layers of hardship that have worn me to a pulp. I’ve had seasons when my agony has driven me to worship as Job did: “The… Continue reading When Our Foundation Falters
"May your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need" (Psalm 79:8). It's a prayer that I've been praying with every frail ounce of my being lately. As the waves of tribulation seem to relentlessly beat upon me and my family, it's a prayer that, I admit, has been increasingly bombarded… Continue reading Fighting for Faith When Doubts Abound
Breathe Body and soul Waging within Between Doubt and trust Fear and faith Broken but held. Breathe. His grace abounds. Pain and weakness Relentless tension Between Anger and acceptance Detachment or reliance Despair or endurance. Breathe. His strength abounds. Flesh and spirit Waging a war Between My way or his This world or the next… Continue reading Breathe – A Poem for the Weary
Peace and joy begin with acceptance. It’s a phrase that God has often brought to mind during the past decade of near constant trials in our family. Between a daily battle with chronic illness, a debilitating injury, suffering children, financial woes, and the strain of caring for a loved one with mental illness, God’s provided… Continue reading Peace Begins With Acceptance
Do you ever feel like you just aren’t enough? Do you feel like there isn’t enough of you to go around and, no matter how much effort you pour out, there's always something lacking, somewhere you've fallen short, or something that hasn't panned out as you expected? I sure do. Some days, I wonder why… Continue reading Five Reminders for the Weary and Burdened Soul
I slowly worked my way to the window and opened the blinds for the first time in over a week. My world had shrunk down to the next time I could take more pain meds, the next time I had to force down a little food and fluids to keep the ER at bay, and… Continue reading What’s the Point if the Pain Has no End
New Year's resolutions. To some, that concept invigorates. To others, it's crippling, overwhelming, and a setup for discouragement. For many years, I’ve pondered what positive changes I’d like to pursue as a new year approaches. The nature of January first brings with it a sense of freshness and renewed hope. And with that, it inspires… Continue reading Faithfulness: A New Year’s Resolution Rooted in Grace
The past several years, God has been stripping away the frills of earthly success, independence, and self-confidence in me. Like Elijah, I have felt hidden by the Lord, severely tested by difficult and painful circumstances, and a battle of faith in response to God’s silence and the relentless furnace of affliction. My natural assumption of… Continue reading Don’t Lose Hope – God’s Writing a Story of Redemption In Your Life
Sometimes I sit down to write and find myself staring at a blank screen, my head swirling with thoughts of what I know is true, yet struggling to connect those truths with the overwhelming emotions and circumstances that seem to say otherwise. This has been one of those weeks. One where I know that God is sovereign,… Continue reading In Faithfulness The Lord Has Afflicted Me
As I’ve watched the last several weeks of political debates, caucuses, and interviews, I’ve been struck by the number of presidential candidates who claim some form of faith in God, while talking and living in a way that seems far more about pursuing their own agenda than living under the authority of God and his Word.… Continue reading Are You Seeking the Glory of God or the Glory of Man?
Set Apart 