Sharing: Heart Longings at Christmas

CHRISTMAS HEART LONGINGS **CHRISTMAS** Little children light up with a glow of excitement when the word is mentioned. The word itself has become a season all its own. But why is it that the word “Christmas” stirs in our hearts a longing for gathering together and rejoicing? Sometimes we might feel that the tradition of … Continue reading Sharing: Heart Longings at Christmas →

Sharing: Seek to Cultivate a Joyous Sense of Thankfulness

As I looked longingly at the “all the things,” I realized that my sense of being in the doldrums and missing out was in danger of becoming chronic grumpiness. Couldn’t I find joy in any of the places where I was currently dwelling? I lifted my prayers to the Lord and cried out for Him … Continue reading Sharing: Seek to Cultivate a Joyous Sense of Thankfulness →

Sharing: Praying for Peace

Etched in Pain When the curtain of night falls around me, sometimes I can identify with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As the pain begins to ramp up in my various places of inflammation, I can almost feel the expression on my face begin to change. Any peace I may have felt earlier in the … Continue reading Sharing: Praying for Peace →

Sharing: The Comfort of Christ

Isaiah 40:1 NIV When the glorious sunshine fell across my face, I felt the comfort of Christ flowing over me. And when the excruciating head pains began to lift, again I felt the comfort of God so near. I longed to share that comfort with my loved ones, so I sent them notes of praise … Continue reading Sharing: The Comfort of Christ →

Sharing: Praise in the Midst of Our Pain

Have you ever looked outside and breathed-in the fresh air of God’s touch and suddenly felt praise rising up from someplace unknown inside of you? Have you seen beauty that takes away that same breath and felt another kind of praise overwhelming the dark places of your pain? There is something to be said for … Continue reading Sharing: Praise in the Midst of Our Pain →

Sharing: Allegory for Worry And Concern

Matthew 6:28-29 NIV This summer has proven to be a time when worry was close on my heals, more times than I wanted to admit. I began this spring hoping to be in such a place of surrender, laying down my fears and asking God to carry me through the many treatments meted out for … Continue reading Sharing: Allegory for Worry And Concern →

Sharing: A Place of Quiet Prayer

The headlines shouted across the glaring screen, and my heart dropped lower than I thought it could go. It seemed that for a moment I felt the weight and the sadness of the world crashing upon me. But in the next moment I heard a whisper, stronger than the weight, deeper than the sadness: “Then, … Continue reading Sharing: A Place of Quiet Prayer →

Praying: Fear Turned To Trust

We hear so many words telling us to just “trust God more.” But is it really that easy? When the foundations of our lives have spun off-kilter, what then? How can trust be considered from a place of such upset? The Cambridge-English Dictionary gives us the definition for the word “trust” as: “to believe that … Continue reading Praying: Fear Turned To Trust →

Sharing: Let Christ Turn Bitterness Into Compassion

The memes and the quips scrolled by me faster than I could keep up. It seemed that everyone had something to say about self-isolation, quarantine, lock-down and the restrictions that were suddenly, with very little warning, thrust upon us. And I hit the "like" button more times than I could count ... Finally the rest … Continue reading Sharing: Let Christ Turn Bitterness Into Compassion →

Praying: Our Savior Teaches Us How to Pray

Praying When we truly face the shape of our hearts, we can be overwhelmed by the lack that we feel. Sinful, weak, and weary are thoughts that easily come to mind as we carry such weights from our days. But we have a Father who loved us so deeply that He sent His Son to … Continue reading Praying: Our Savior Teaches Us How to Pray →