Posts tagged “Encouragement”
Cry for a moment
“Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Oh, the bittersweet joy this sentence gives! We draw comfort knowing Jesus was emotional enough to cry. His pain was…
Remind me, Lord
In these times, feeling safe and secure can seem like a relic of the past. Perhaps we used to be able to brush off…
Jesus calls the broken
Have you ever pretended you had it all together? Recently, I met a friend for coffee and, fueled by Pastor Mike’s sermons, decided to…
Stock your arsenal
I’m not sure about you, but I don’t have too many enemies. I had that one terrible landlord once, a couple disgruntled employees, and…
Are you tired?
The year is rapidly drawing to a close. December 25 has come and gone. Soon the presents will be put away, the fancy dishes…
Goodbye regret, hello change
Mid-December regret hits hard. January brims with enthusiasm and renewed determination to change. But all too often, December is the reminder that the year…
Praise him in the hallway
When someone shuts a door in your face, it’s unpleasant. Momentum is broken. Communication is shut down. What to do? Pound on the door…
Cabin fever
Winter in the north is hard on machinery and people. Winter stops being crisp really fast. Ice-cold things grind slowly if they grind at…
God isn’t scared—even when we are
A few years ago, I had a hard conversation that upended my world. The grief I felt was immense. There was a real fear…
Preparing for the storm
My Florida friends spent last week preparing for Hurricane Ian. Some reinforced windows in their homes. Another packed up a bunch of her possessions…
The beauty on the other side of pain
One of my dearest friends is a potter. She wasn’t always. In truth, it’s what she turned to after a grueling season of chemo…
Good or bad advice?
Life can be complicated, and some decisions put a lot at stake. It’s during those times that you often turn to the advice of…