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.
The Lament Series: The Confession of Trust
Trust is one of those things that's hard to describe and even more difficult to practice. But just like anything else, the more you practice, the easier it becomes until you wondered why it was so hard in the first place. In lament, we confess our trust...
The Lament Series: The Cry
“The cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgement we are not home. We are divided from our own body, our own deepest desires, our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God “What...
Exploring the Lost Language of Lament
(Click the player below to hear me read the post) Have you ever read something in your native language and then asked, "huh"? Learning a new language isn’t limited to foreign languages, but also to learning new skills. When I learned to crochet, I needed to...
Breaking Cycles and Bold Faith
Click the player to hear me read today's post: Normally autumn is full of contrasts: bright blue skies against golden yellow cornfields. Bright red and gold leaves. Emerald grass and brown fields. Skies filled with constellations twinkling on a midnight...
Breaking Cycles and Receiving Grace
Breaking cycles is a lifelong journey full of adventures and misadventures. One cannot condemn oneself when one fails and one cannot take the glory for one's successes. It's grace that we are carried through and it's grace we receive when we need it. Breaking...
Breaking Cycles and the Battle You Fight
Breaking cycles is like fighting a battle. It's a battle for your heart, mind, present, and, mostly, your future. You might be thinking, "Duh, I'm lying bruised and bleeding on the field and every time I get up, I get knocked down." Yes. It feels like...