My knee-jerk reaction to suffering is to research, scrambling for solutions, aiming to find a way to make things feel more comfortable. I want to fix things and quickly. I want an answer. Back when my illness was the worst, my desperation for health had crossed the line into idolatry. Read more…
When suffering seems endless and despair kicks in, thoughts of “why” and “how long, oh Lord?” can permeate our thoughts. We fixate on circumstances, trying to understand them, and then stress multiplies even more. Our songs of praise feel out of tune, inauthentic, cacophonous, ugly, filled with discord underneath. Sometimes Read more…
Does it seem like the powers of this world are taking over? Is fear nagging under the surface of your thoughts? We do not need to be afraid, believer. Easter actually happened, right?! Jesus is alive and reigning as King right now, and He is fulfilling His kingdom purposes right Read more…
In quietness and in trust shall be your strength (Is. 30:15b ESV). “But Lord,” she cried. “Nothing in my life feels quiet or calm. My life is filled with chaos, this fallen world is filled with chaos and noise. I’m honestly battling the ever-present anxiety that underlies my life circumstances Read more…
Do you ever talk to your soul? The Psalmists did this a lot, reminding themselves of truth in God’s Word, truths about who God is and what He is doing…even when we can’t see it. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within Read more…
It’s a week of love. Valentine’s Day celebrated it and the beginning of Lent points us to Love crucified. “But how could I be suffering so much if God loves me?” Sometimes our enemy forces this secret question into our pain. In that same experience of anguish, the blind hymnwriter Read more…
My rings are precious possessions, white and yellow gold blended with diamond sparkles, representing the deep love of my dear husband. He is a treasure from God to me and the gold rings continue to endure after so many years of marriage…and lots of messy cleanups! I Peter reminds me Read more…
It was a holy night. Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born. Can you imagine the sound filling the sky as the multitude of angels arrived? What a sound must have been the glory of heaven, lyrics from worship at His throne breaking into our earthly atmosphere, praising God! The song Read more…
David was in trouble. In Psalm 55, He cried out to the Lord, complaining honestly about his upsetting situation. He lamented, moaned, got it all out there as He prayed. He was hurt, burdened, and filled with anxiety. Can you relate? I sure can. As my students often say, “The Read more…
As a choral educator, I know the power of singing rounds. All learn a simple melody, repeat it over and over, and when the round begins, groups of people sing the same song at staggered times. I remember singing this round as a teenager, memorizing Scripture with song: Seek ye Read more…
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