In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word was God. He was WITH God in the beginning. John 1:1-2 Our God is relational and personal. Jesus calls us to be with him in an intimate relationship and, when wholeheartedly received, fills our souls with life and light. However,… Continue reading The 5 Ways We Relate to God
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 In my previous blog, When… Continue reading The Perfectly Fitted Yoke of Jesus
God's grace is a healing balm for my shame, broken heart, insecurity, jealousy, religiosity, judgmental thoughts, need to achieve, and fear. Knowing that I don't have to earn God's love relaxes my shoulders, slows my breathing, inspires my thinking, and makes me grateful. In this world, most systems are about earning acceptance, proving value, and… Continue reading When Grace Heals
Have you ever had an awakening so profound that everything you wholeheartedly believed got turned over on its head? I compare this experience to floating on the water above an iceberg, unaware of its formidable size beneath the surface. Then, a direct hit with the visible ice forces me to see what is underneath –… Continue reading The Unintentional Legalist
JOY is simple. It is not elaborate, artificial, or complicated. JOY does not require money, reputation, success, marriage, health, or fitting into a religious culture to make you feel good about yourself. It does not thrive on these things. JOY is easy to understand. It does not come with a complex owner's manual that… Continue reading I Choose Joy in 2023
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. As much as I would like to think that… Continue reading Unfamiliar Paths
Scars form as part of the healing process after your skin has been cut or damaged. The skin repairs itself by growing new tissue to pull together the wound and fill in any gaps caused by the injury. Scars develop in all shapes and sizes. This short story is about the emotional scars a woman… Continue reading Her Sacred Scars
Luke 22:31-32 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Have you ever felt great comfort knowing friends are praying for you? Perhaps you asked them to pray for a difficult situation… Continue reading Jesus is Praying for You
Ephesians 3:17-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Oh, how… Continue reading Believing God Loves You
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. The enneagram 3 in me (The Achiever) always wants to perform and be validated by my works, which drives me crazy. I don't want to be… Continue reading Grace puts its hand on the boasting mouth
