Real Women. Real Life. Real Faith.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view, though we once regarded Christ in this way we do so no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old is gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:15-17
Have you ever prayed with a stranger and then instantly felt a unique, lasting connection with that person, and wondered why you felt such fondness for someone you spent so little time with?
[Read more…] about The Power Of A Prayer PartnerIt’s Heather’s week to do Gace & truth today, but I’m stepping in because she’s swamped. And I’m able to step in because I took off work today. She’s swamped, and I took off for the same reason: to write a book.
[Read more…] about Prayer, Grace & TruthSubmit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
The devil tempted Jesus repeatedly as He wandered through the desert for 40 days. Each time, Jesus resisted Satan’s bait and instead obeyd God’s plan, until eventually the devil fled.
I struggled with debilitating anxiety for a long time, because I was afraid to confront Satan and call him out on his lies. But then as I read in Revelations 12:11 that Satan is defeated by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus reminded me I am covered by that same blood, and that I belong to Him.
[Read more…] about Resist The Devil And He Will FleeIntracranial hypertension is a rare brain disease characterized by too much fluid pressure inside the brain. It’s the industrial vice grip my Dad has on the farm, only clamped onto my brain – not my skull – my brain, so the pressure feels like my eyes might just pop out.
It’s the pressure that brought me to the lowest point in my life, the place where I even considered ending it altogether.
[Read more…] about Pressure, Grace & TruthHe asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
John 20:15-16 ESV
I remember one dark morning when I sat on the floor in our basement, surrounded by a pile of tissues again. I held my head in my hands, trying to catch my breath when the most unlikely of songs began playing in my head.
It was Lauren Daigle singing “Look up child, eh hey.” I ignored her and blew my nose again to drown her out, but she just wouldn’t be quiet. It was then that I realized it was God speaking to me through music as He often does. So I lifted my head, looked up at the ceiling panels and whispered, “Jesus, help me.”
My favorite part of the Easter story is when Mary is too busy crying at the empty tomb to realize Jesus is standing right in front of her. Mary gets me. But the most incredible part is that a hot mess of a woman like me was the first to see the risen Lord. Jesus didn’t choose royalty or a calm Bible scholar to appear to first. He chose a woman who came running to find Him.
What I’ve learned from Mary (and Lauren Daigle) is that Jesus is always with us. All we have to do is look up.
Jesus, thank you for loving me just where I am. Thank you for being there for me at any hour, whether I’m seeking you or ignoring you. Please help me remember to always keep my eyes on You, especially when all I want to do is hang my head. In Your Holy name I pray, Amen.
When I’m swirling in a perfect storm of anger and hurt, all I want to do is run away where no one will know to cry and scream as loud as I can until I have no tears or voice left.
I’ve actually done it more than once. I fled to my car, drove to a deserted field, and returned home with a headache and a sore throat. And the none the better for my little tantrum.
[Read more…] about Pigeons, Grace & TruthGod is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
The assurance that God will never give me more than I can handle almost made me turn from Him. Many days I’ve felt so desperate that I wanted to give up, and the idea that my circumstances came from God, and that I was expected to be strong enough, was more than I could bear.
First Corinthians 10:13 seemed to confirm that I was both weak and a disappointment to God, but I knew this didn’t align with God’s character, so I studied the verse to find the truth.
So is it true that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle?
[Read more…] about Is It True That God Doesn’t Give You More Than You Can Handle?My home has few plants because I’m notorious for killing all things green. Since I’m not much of a gardener, I always thought “pruning” was about getting rid of weeds and dead vegetation. So when I study scriptures about how God prunes us so we can bear fruit, I understand that He’s yanking out my temper and throwing away my pride.
[Read more…] about God’s Pruning, Grace & TruthMy husband’s parents have been married for over 50 years. I am a child of divorce, so when I got engaged, I couldn’t wait to hear my future mother-in-law’s secret to a lasting marriage.
Her answer surprised me. It wasn’t communication, forgiveness, or even compromise. Her secret to marriage in 2 words was this:
[Read more…] about Disappointment, Grace & TruthI’ve been struggling with a lot of built-up hurt and resentment. So many years and experiences lost because of circumstances and other’s control over me when I was too vulnerable to stand up for myself. I need to let go, to move on, but the loss is so great; the hurt is just too painful to process.
[Read more…] about Grace & Truth For When The Hurt Is Just Too Painful
