The Psalms Prayer Series
The Psalms have long comforted me and continue to do so because they have taught me how to express honest emotion. The sludge that hides deep in my heart is given a voice. And they show me that even when I screw up, there's hope. Further, the Psalms give...
The Joy Series: Jesus Completes Joy
The lyric's significance rushed over me. The words reverberated in my head and grew wildly in my heart as I realized the power within them. "If I have you, I have everything. But without you, I have nothing. If I have you, I have everything, but...
The Joy Series: Joy Is Our Strength
How do we translate joy into strength when this life seems to drain us of our energy? We live in the thin place where we function in this world but not of the world. Where we embrace grace so that we can live well with grace while resisting the...
The Joy Series: Joy Fuels Your Endurance
Joy as a feeling is something we're familiar with, but joy as fuel is something entirely different. We need motivation when we tackle unpleasant tasks and procrastinate like crazy. There's an idea that we'll feel joy once we accomplish the tasks,...
The Joy Series: Joy Affects Others
Joy seems elusive right now. I need the reminder that it's not a feeling but a fruit, it's part of God's nature, and it's tied into the gospel news. My heart hurts and feels bruised by disappointments and relationships. I trudge through the same...
The Joy Series: The Gospel as Joy News
Have you ever noticed that not all good news floods your life with joy? Sometimes good news brings trepidation, anxiety, concern, or questions. Sometimes good news brings change, and for some, change causes apprehension, which haunts the joy that the...
The Joy Series: Joy as Fruit
I bought fresh blueberries the other day. They tasted a bit tart at first, but then gave way to sweetness. Living with joy in our lives is a little like eating blueberries. It can be a bit sour as we choose joy in the midst of harrowing circumstances. But as we obey,...
The Joy Series: God is Joyous
God is joyous and filled with joy over you. He rejoices and is glad in you. Do you feel that joy? Or do you look at yourself in the mirror and still see a lost little sheep wandering, taking this path and that path, getting more and more lost? ...
The Joy Series: The Source of Joy
The joy series will attempt to uncover different aspects of joy. We will explore the joy giver, joy as fruit, joy-news, joy for others, joy-endurance, joy-strength, and how Jesus completes joy. However, we live in the tension of not home yet and living...
The Lament Series: The Praise
The lament arc takes us from despair to release to hope and to praise because it allows for the full expression of emotions this life creates. Our responses to our life experiences can drive us towards God but when we tuck our emotions into a chest in the...
The Lament Series: The Petition
A litany of voices dash through my mind whenever I ask for help or clarification. And they sound a little something like this: "Shouldn't you know this?" "Why are you bothering me?" "That's a stupid request." "You didn't ask...
The Lament Series: The Expression of Pain
God doesn’t intend for us to live this life half-way but in fullness and abundance. Exploring our emotions is part of learning to live in the fullness he provides.