Suffering with hope

Fighting for Faith When Doubts Abound

"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. It's a prayer that, I admit, has been increasingly bombarded with doubts over God's apparent silence to our pleas for help on so many… Continue reading Fighting for Faith When Doubts Abound

Suffering with hope

A Response to John MacArthur’s Statements on Mental Illness From a Family it Has Misjudged

I write this article with an aching heart for countless families who have been affected by mental illness - including the dozens who have reached out to my husband and I in desperate search for help, hope, and community. And since hearing the comments made by John MacArthur on a recent panel, discussing his view… Continue reading A Response to John MacArthur’s Statements on Mental Illness From a Family it Has Misjudged

Suffering with hope

Peace Begins With Acceptance

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

Suffering with hope

Words Spoken Out of Grief, Not Belief

Job has been a kindred spirit to me for much of my life. Not out of desire, but out of necessity. As I’ve tried to grapple with deeply painful realities that appear to be at odds with who God says he is, I’ve had to choose - do I go the easy route and deny… Continue reading Words Spoken Out of Grief, Not Belief

Suffering with hope

Five Reminders for the Weary and Burdened Soul

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

Suffering with hope

What’s the Point if the Pain Has no End

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

Suffering with hope

He Will Create Rivers in the Dry Wasteland

There are moments in life when you find yourself standing in a metaphoric wilderness. You believe God can provide, and you see him providing for many around you. And yet, as the heat of the sun beats down on you and the streams before you begin to run dry, you begin to wonder…”Is God really… Continue reading He Will Create Rivers in the Dry Wasteland

Suffering with hope

Faithfulness: A New Year’s Resolution Rooted in Grace

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

Fighting the Good Fight, Suffering with hope

Don’t Lose Hope – God’s Writing a Story of Redemption In Your Life

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

Suffering with hope

The Cry of a Broken Heart

This post is for the hurting soul. It's for the broken-hearted, weary child of God. At times, no words can be found as the confusion within fogs the lens of truth. When the battle of body and Spirit wages its violent war, we may be left feeling wounded and weak as our faith is shaken, our emotions are… Continue reading The Cry of a Broken Heart