Do you ever feel like God isn’t listening to you? You pray and pray and pray… and NOTHING changes. N O T H I N G. I am profoundly certain that prayer and doubt is one of the enemy’s most effective, tactical weapons in the war for our souls. When we are suffering on any level, when our circumstances are too hard to endure, scripture tells us to pray. So, most of us do; expecting God to relieve us of suffering which renews our hope and provides a perfect church testimony.
Tag: hope
Faith: The Rugged Truth about Unrelenting Raw Seasons
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 The sky has been dreary for days . . . which has felt more like months. It’s winter. Of the four seasons, winter is my least favorite. Winter days can be monotonously gray. Life and growth continues, but it’s underground […]
A Timeless Lesson from Common Kitchen Items
Do you ever feel like you’re playing the game “whack-a-mole” in life? Before you have time to catch your breath from knocking out an obstacle, another shows up . . . . . . and another . . . and another . . . and then three more at the same time. The following story […]
Permission to “Not Adult” for Every Caregiver
Today, I am “not adulting.” I am closing the door to everything that has led to being exhausted. Since I have been “doing” for so long, I’ve lost me. “Not Adulting” means: I will not wake up at 3:00 am to see if my child is sleeping or check the medical monitor that will continue […]
Calming Truth When Life Is SO Complicated
His hands were gently folded on his lap as he listened to the sermon. Every morning, my son and his caregiver listen to various sermons on his phone; she patiently helps him find the Bible passage written in large letters. As they listened, I watched his fingers, now long and thin and never still. Jon’s […]
Today I’m Giving Up My “Wish-List”
I looked into my son’s eyes wondering what he was thinking. Most people see him as a young man who is “odd” or “different” even though he appears to be a typical young man. I know him as my 23-year-old son with blue eyes and pale skin, whose life has included a treadmill of specialists […]
How Can I Be Thankful for That?
I’ll never forget Thanksgiving Day 2019. I usually treasure family traditions—those few hours or days each year when the noisy clatter of life comes to a halt. Gathering, reflecting, and being present with those I love warms my soul. However, everything about fall, feasting, and festive gatherings was the last thing on my mind. Two […]
Clawing for Control when God Says, “Cling to the Truth”
Nine months into the year 2020, the word “unprecedented” has become a household hashtag. Everything from COVID19, the west coast fires, hurricanes in the gulf and southern states . . . these and other events have been labeled “unprecedented” according to the media and news streams. “Unprecedented” means an event, experience, or unparalleled, extraordinary happening […]
Because of My Struggles, Not in Spite of My Struggles…
Looking out the hospital window I wondered if anyone in the world had ever felt so lonely. The doctor had just told me my son may not make it through the night. Burying a child isn’t a topic in books pregnant mom’s read; it was the first time I had to face the fact there […]
How to Gut It Out When the Going Gets Tough
Some days, I am truly thankful my thoughts are NOT put on display for all to read! This was one of those days. To begin, I have to admit medical maintenance isn’t one of my best qualities. Um, as in something has to fall apart . . . or off, for that matter, and then […]
Peace Offered When We Call Out
There are days when I fight feeling hopeless. Not an all-consuming hopelessness: pull the shades, draw the covers, the sky is falling hopeless. I have had seasons like that; most often connected to a death…death of a friend, expectation, or dream. There’s finality in that kind of death and it’s awful. I’m finding there is […]
Finding Hope in the Unknowns of Faith
Colleen wrote the following journal entry about her thoughts, anxiety, and faith prior to a serious spine surgery she had in December, from which she is still recovering. A Journal Entry There’s something about the unknown that can be uncomfortable. I want to know the outcome of my upcoming surgery. But in addition […]