I don’t like to be in pain. Be it physical, emotional, spiritual - I dislike the experience of pain. I know that pain can bring positive end results… and so I exercise even when I don’t feel like it. But pain is not a fun experience. Let me guess: You know what I’m talking about. … Continue reading Yes, God brought me this trial
Over the past month, we’ve looked at the reality of life’s setbacks and detours and taken encouragement from the fact that God’s plans are bigger than our plans. But one of the other reasons why we experience setbacks in life is not quite as encouraging. Sometimes, our heartaches and struggles are simply part of the experience of … Continue reading Handling the heartache of a broken world
We all know the “correct” answer here. Isaiah 55 answers this question directly: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” So why do I live as if my plans are better than the Lord’s plans? As we looked at in … Continue reading Are my plans really better than the Lord’s plans?
We think that when we give our lives to Christ, we can now expect smoother sailing through the ups and downs of life. We look at social media and think that we’re the only family who is struggling with a difficult season. But in reality, all of us experience setbacks or detours in the life … Continue reading Why doesn’t life go as planned?
I don’t know about you, but there are days when I find myself feeling quite… impatient. It’s probably more accurate to say there are hours (upon hours) when impatience threatens to take over. Patience is often something we pray for, but do we take the time to work toward developing it? Here are 5 key … Continue reading Five key steps to developing more patience
This is a question that I hear often. And it is absolutely true that the gospel brings HOPE into the struggle with anxiety! The gospel is the good news that although we are all sinners, unable to make ourselves right with our God and Creator, God came to earth as a man (Jesus) in order … Continue reading How does the gospel help me with my anxiety?
Do you ever have trouble falling asleep at night because your brain just won’t turn off? I certainly do. God has created us as creatures who need rest. Our bodies will literally shut down if we do not sleep. Our emotions and our mental health will suffer if we work 7 days a week, 15 … Continue reading Rest is a good thing
I realized this morning that I’m feeling a little stressed out. How did I come to this realization? My husband started rubbing my shoulders and they were tight as rocks. That (short) massage hurt! Uh oh. I know my body well enough to know that super tight shoulders are a warning sign of stress. Frankly, it’s … Continue reading I really hate stress.
Don't worry, I don't spend every day hunting around for colorful eggs. Nor do I eat ham, see my extended family for a long meal, show up at my church building, or wear a pastel dress every day. I don't do these things every day, because this is not really how we celebrate Easter. It … Continue reading I celebrate Easter every day
Last year, I was so caught up in the Lord’s presence, the encouragement of the gathering, and the fun of the music that I completely forgot to take any photos of the evening. As the Executive Director… whoops. (This year, I’m asking someone else to do it.) If you didn’t join us last year, you … Continue reading You’re invited to our second annual Praise & Worship Night!