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.)
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.
The Lens of Thanksgiving
The first thanksgiving was an act of faith. The Pilgrims’ thanks was not based on pleasant circumstances but rather believing that God should be thanked in prosperity and adversity.
When Your Prayer Requests Feel too Personal
We all have griefs that don’t wear black. Struggles that will not end up on the prayer chain. But we can share these griefs with a trusted few who can pray with us and point us to God.
When Everyone is Irritating You
I was mentally jotting down people who had been irritating me. It was everyone I knew. But then I picked up the Bible and was convicted of my own actions and attitudes.
Nothing is Beyond Redemption
I pull into the driveway, and I’m undone at seeing my camellia bush. This resurrected shrub has weathered many storms and has taught that God is always working, especially when I can’t see it.
When You Struggle to Believe that God Loves You
It’s hard to believe God loves us in the midst of relentless trials. And yet God does his deepest work in the fiercest storms.