Trial
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The Cost of Leadership Part 6
Please start with the first 5 posts in this series if you haven’t already. The fifth aspect of the cost of going deep is prayer, and the time it takes to pray. Deeper for me was when our daughter walked away from our family for 8 years. And God called my husband and me to continue walking and serving faithfully when the waves we had to cross got even bigger. We continued to pray for years that the Lord would bring her back, keep her safe and draw her to Himself. Sometimes as we serve and lead, God does not answer for a long time. But He is at work even…
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Two Book Recommendations
I recently finished reading two amazing books I want to recommend to my readers. The first is When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons. My D-group did a slow walk through this book. I wrote one post on it in Perfect? For Who? since I am a recovering perfectionist! Ruth takes us from a “self help” mentality to a grace mentality as she reminds us of who Christ is and what He has done for us. Because of His grace we can walk in confidence in His image and stop striving to work our way through self-help methods. Yes, there are things we do to become disciplined disciples, but even those things…
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The Blessed Limp
Ever had an injury that just wouldn’t heal? Or surgery on a part of your body that took forever to heal. Maybe, like me, you never were the same after an incident. I’ve had 3 foot surgeries. Each time I’ve had numbness from the procedure that I’ve never fully recovered from. The last surgery took the longest to heal. I limped in a boot for a while, then limped as I favored it when the boot was removed. Lasting issues, although minor, continue to bother me. But what happens when the “limp” is a spiritual one? Those sometimes last a lifetime, and yet, they can be some of the sweetest…
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Who Hates Disruptions?
Task oriented people like me! You know, gotta get the job done…today…now! No matter what. What about you? All of us have experienced them. Most of us do not like them. Over 2 years ago the entire world experienced disruption to life as we had known it. In addition to the pandemic, many others also experienced a disruption in their good health, close relationships, face-to-face community we relied on, satisfying jobs, and income that goes with that. And this is the short list. Some experienced continual losses, one after another, along with, and in the middle of, the pandemic. But, what if, for whatever reason, this was God’s plan for…
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Easter & Romans 8:28
As you celebrate Easter, remembering what Jesus has done for you through His crucifixion and resurrection, I just want to challenge you to consider Jesus’ obedience and the truth of His Father’s plan in light of Romans 8:28. If it’s true that…. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. …then, we know Jesus truly understands what it is to do what God asks, no matter how hard it is. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for a different way to accomplish our salvation, but submitted to His Father’s “no” to this request so that…
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Reading Recommendation
I am an avid reader and often share what I’m reading on this blog and on social media. If I can inspire someone else to READ, I am a happy girl, especially when I find amazing writings. Today I just want to recommend two memoirs that will touch your heart and that are surprisingly connected…as I just discovered! The first is Elisabeth Elliot’s memoir published after her death using her journals. I’ve read and loved her for over 30 years, and wrote about this book in Who Are You Becoming? I asked her to speak to the women at my church in the early 90’s and her spiritual depth blew…
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He’s Got the Power!
Do you ever waver in your belief in someone? Someone you normally would trust? Have you ever wavered in your trust in God? You know He has all power and wisdom, that He is sovereign, faithful and good, that nothing surprises Him. But sometimes you…just forget? Me too. My Bible reading today included Romans 4. Verses 20-21 became a lifeline to me in a difficult time in ministry years ago. A time when I was just over it, didn’t want to continue. I sought God’s direction of whether to walk away from this ministry position, or stick it out, but couldn’t get a clear answer. Then one day, this verse…
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Dealing With Anxiety
It’s everywhere! Maybe you are experiencing this right this moment. So much has been written about this, but how are YOU dealing with it? There’s only a couple of times in my life I came close to having a panic attack (other than a short lived one as I feared for my life and there was a true reason for this panic! Check out my Hurricane Sally series.). I do remember those times and felt, “I just cannot do all this!” I was the mom of twin daughters, in school, and very involved in ministry in my church, even serving in a part time position on the staff. My heart…
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Responsibility Without Authority?
Have you ever been in a place where you were given lots of responsibility, but you weren’t given much authority to go with it? I have, and it’s a hard place to be. You can get little done on the task because you don’t have the authority to make decisions yourself. At least that’s the way it feels regarding our work. Guess who else found himself in this kind of situation? Jonah, who spent 3 days in the belly of a fish. This is not something I’ve ever thought about before studying Jonah in a different way as I completed week two of Scarlet Hiltibidal’s study, Anxious. She points out…
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More Good News About the Wait!
Mostly on this blog I just bring you into my daily walk with Jesus and what He is teaching me. So, welcome to one morning with Him! Don’t you love it when the Lord gives you a particular glimpse of truth in a variety of ways. One day last week, my devotional and 2 books I am reading carried a common message relating to the “wait.” I recently wrote, in He’s Still the Same , about trusting Him in the difficult waiting times, as we reflect on His past faithfulness. Then last week, He reminded me again, why He doesn’t reveal all His mysteries to us right now. In my…
