Struggle and Loss
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Who Said It Would Be Easy?
When my husband and I surrendered to ministry, our lives became harder than ever before. Everything started breaking, including cars, furniture and appliances—big stuff on a very limited budget. We began to question whether or not God really called us to full time ministry. Shouldn’t it be easy to follow Jesus, especially since we were committing our family and vocations to His work? We only have to read the book of Job to answer “no” to the title question. In reading Disappointment With God by Philip Yancey I was stunned as he reminded us God never told Job what was happening behind the scenes. Job never knew about the bet…
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The Upside of a Struggle
The disappointment, the losses, the failures, the fears, the betrayals, the waiting and waiting. Why? What good is this in the life of a believer?? I’ve asked these questions many times. If I do get an answer to one, it’s not usually the one I want. It took 8 long painful years praying before the Lord brought restoration in a family relationship. But one thing I have learned over the years, nothing is ever wasted. The Lord uses it all. Scripture tells us: We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he…
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If There Is Any Other Way
Sunday morning we celebrated Easter, so in this follow up post, I want to share something I was reminded of a few days before Easter Sunday. As I ponder Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the agony He experienced, I am reminded through the study Navigating Gospel Truth (check last week’s post for more details) of His pain. Author Rebecca McLaughlin took us back to Jeremiah 25:15-29 to show us His agony wasn’t primarily the pain and shame of the cross. That was difficult enough of course! But it was the fact that He would carry the wrath of God for sin so that we don’t have to. This was…
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The Hope Spring Brings
Wherever you live, do you see it? The green starting to pop out in the trees? The early flowers showing their beauty? I do! I love getting to enjoy my neighbors peach tree each spring without having to take care of it! Spring is absolutely, hands down my favorite season! I cannot tell you what it does to my soul every single spring. In the winter I feel more lethargic, but let the flowers and trees start to wake up, and so do I! My energy finds a whole new level! I hate to say it, but I spend most of the winter waiting for the spring! After multiple losses last…
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Complete Control
I love studying about God’s sovereignty because it’s truth no matter the situation I’m experiencing. Knowing He is in control over every single thing is where my hope lands, along with His return, and my eternity in His presence. Elizabeth Woodson has put together a wonderful study, From Beginning to Forever, overviewing the entire Bible in 8 sessions! It’s a wonderful and quick way to get the “whole story.” And it will send you back wanting to learn more about the connections the make up this one story of redemption we see in our Bibles. In the final week we are quickly scanning Revelation and I love what she wrote…
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A Rocky 2024?
How’s 2024 so far? Is it what you thought it would be? It has not been for me, in several ways. If you read my posts regularly you’ve seen some of my unexpected experiences. I’ve begun to wonder if this is how it will be all year! But God gave me the song “Good Plans” the first of the year and I decided I’d seek to find the good plan in whatever God allowed this year. I just didn’t think I’d have do it this soon! Instead of dreading what is next, I’m seeking to believe His good plans and ask the Lord what He wants to teach me. What…
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Delayed Gratitude
This week, I want to rejoice in a 3 year delay in celebrating our 50th anniversary on a cruise. We planned this cruise for 2021, but ships weren’t sailing at that time due to COVID. Our 50th was celebrated, just not as we had planned! We actually discovered a new favorite beach on Captiva Island, Florida that year! This year, for our 53rd anniversary, we made the cruise with several of our friends and had the best time. For me anticipation is half the fun! I love to plan ahead and wait for something to happen. But, I must say, the week we were to leave, a major winter storm…
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Looking Back, Looking Forward, Living Today
How was your 2023? How will your 2024 be? Last week my post reflected the anticipation of new things as we entered 2024. Please read A “Good” New Thing if you missed it. This week I want to encourage you to look back and reflect, as I am doing. What were the highs and lows of 2023? I remember wondering early last year what was ahead. I had a few ideas and plans, but I knew it was all in the hands of our sovereign Lord as to how those would pan out. What else would be a part of the 2023 journey? I had some wonderful experiences with family,…
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Gratitude In ALL Things
I recently had the privilege of writing an article for LifeWay Women’s The Reference Desk department. The topic was “gratitude.” The timing of the request was designed by God, as it was during a really tough few weeks. Gratitude was not overflowing, but I desperately needed it! I was forced to look at my heart as I studied in preparation for writing this article, and as I prepared to teach my life group using the study Grateful. Banner photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
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The Changing Landscape
Each morning while at the beach, my hero husband goes down early to claim our spot on the beach. Each day, where he puts our chairs changes a little. We’ve watched the changes as the surf has gone from calm to strong. When we first got here, the beach was level at the shore. Easy to roll our beach buggy onto. But as the waves got choppier, we began to see a “cliff” form at the shoreline. We talked about how it will be harder to be beachfront with that drop off. I love watching thees shoreline changes each day. One morning the attribute of God I was focusing on was…
