Dance in the Rain
Welcome to My Journal
My life has often felt like a raging storm. A hurricane without an end. And yet God has given me joy in the midst of it. And through the raging storms and the intermittent drizzle, I’m learning to dance in the rain. (Figuratively, of course.)
Unwanted Gifts: Can we be Thankful for them?
This Thanksgiving, as everyone at the table says what they are thankful for, what will you say? What has most deepened your faith & drawn you to God?
Finding Hope in Depression: Psalm 43
When I’m depressed, I listen to myself and focus on my fears about the future. God is inviting me to listen to Him and rest in His promises instead.
Will God Really Provide What I Need?
While I know God will provide all I need, sometimes I slip into doubt & fear. How can I be sure when the present looks bleak and the future seems uncertain?
Why Should I Forgive?
Forgiving is hard; it often feels like death. And it feels terribly unfair. Yet extending forgiveness has been one of the most life-giving things I have ever done.
How to Pray When Life Falls Apart
In the midst of broken dreams and riveting pain, how should we pray? Do we pray for healing and deliverance or should we just relinquish our desires to God?
What Good Is God?
Are you tired of waiting? Have you wondered what the point of faith is anyway? What good is God if your prayers aren’t being answered the way that you want?
The Relentless Ache of Unfulfilled Longings
What do I do with my unfulfilled longings? Forget them? Deny them? What will that make them go away? Am I wasting my life waiting for what I'll never have?
God Uses All Things
Everything that happens to me is an invitation from God to grow closer to him. But am I willing to trust God when things look broken?
The Power of Giving Thanks
It’s easy to give thanks when things are going well. But to thank God for his provision when life feels like it's crumbling can be life-changing.
Sustained in the Fiery Furnace
I have often wondered what it would have been like to watch Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they were thrown into the fiery furnace.
Can I Find Peace in Pain?
How do people come to terms with loss? What do we do with our broken dreams? Can we ever find peace in pain?
Trusting God with the Unfinished
God is asking me to be content with the unfinished and the imperfect, to celebrate the small victories, and to trust that He is working in them all.
Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace
Jesus doesn’t just offer rest. He shows us how to do it. As we walk with Him and watch what He did, we will discover the secret of true rest.
The Agony of Waiting
If I knew God would eventually answer my prayer with “yes,” waiting would be easier. But when the wait seems endless and I’m not sure if there’s any point to it anyway, it feels excruciating…
Good Friday: When All Hope Feels Lost
This year, Jesus' last days have gripped me like never before. Good Friday has become more precious as I have seen new facets of the cross to be thankful for and have fallen even more in love with Jesus.
Lament: Beauty out of Bitterness
Our authenticity draws others to God, allowing them to be honest too. God invites our lament as He knows our tendency either to suffocate, pretending we are fine, or to walk away, disillusioned.
When We Need The Comfort of Others
Suffering in another human being is a call to the rest of us to stand in community. It is not a question which demands an answer; it is a mystery which demands a presence.
When the Detour Becomes the New Road
When my plans go awry, I always want to believe that I have taken a temporary detour. Maybe it’s a long one, but I hope I’ll soon be able to return to the way things used to be.
An Unlikely Word for 2016
My word for 2016 is challenging all of my thoughts and actions. Rather than something I think about occasionally, it must change my very fiber to become a reality in my life.
A Way in a Manger
The manger highlights the way God uses our deepest pain, our humiliation, the things we wish were different, to bring Him the greatest glory. God’s kingdom is upside down.