joy

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The most powerful song lyrics, composed in Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, Grief. Tears. Shocking sad. More new losses. Unchanging circumstances. But… Your songs, the Psalms, are the most powerful song lyrics. You composed them. You sang them in Your earthly life. They’re all…about You. You’re singing to me into this fresh grief, as You weep with me. The Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
human standing beside crucifix statue on mountain

Have you ever heard of spiritual depression? 

Particularly when our bodies suffer from chronic illness or ongoing fatigue and stress, we can become prone to what Martin Lloyd-Jones describes as “spiritual depression” or joyless unhappiness, a temptation of Satan for a believer.  My harp on yonder willow lies, Silent, neglected, and unstrung; My cheerful songs are turned Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman wearing black sleeveless dress holding white headphone at daytime

How does singing to God affect our emotions? 

I’ve recently realized that many who are reading this are like me….our suffering is ongoing, chronic, continual, likely permanent on earth, but with lots of ups and downs. No wonder our emotions follow that same pattern! We can’t be stoic about this. It hurts, we grieve losses daily, fears creep Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
yellow bokeh lights

The angels’ Christmas song points us to our Good Shepherd

Of course it was frightening, for it seemed like just another normal evening to those shepherds. Taking turns on the night shift, watching for threatening attacks, guarding each individual sheep’s needs, and constantly wrestling with the natural elements. Exhausting, longing, waiting on God, loss, fear.  Was life in this fallen Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
person carrying child wearing white top

Releasing into joy, in my dread of suffering

Why do I assume that tomorrow will bring more suffering?  Even if it did, why would I assume that I couldn’t possess any joy?  Maybe I need to simply ask God for His Spirit’s promised fruit of joy, to release my imagined assumptions. Who am I to predict what tomorrow Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
pathway between green grass field

God’s song in the night, a song of joy

Joy? How can we possibly find any joy right now? How can we find joy when anger, pain, fear, and personal troubles seem to escalate weekly?  My heart has wearied this week, yet He beckons me through this Scripture. God’s song in the night You shall have a song as Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
black woman giving gift to kid

In Christmas 2020, let’s sing to our Redeemer who rescues us by His love

In Christmas 2020, our world clings to hope for rescue in so many places…vaccines, government power, cultural movements of justice, justice in the court system, human-made organizations.  Honestly, my heart has been gripped this year by an overwhelming disbelief in possible rescue through any human system. This pervasive gripping hasn’t Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman looking towards the sky

Praising Our Sovereign God Into Depression

I wondered about the author of this hymn’s lyrics (God Moves in a Mysterious Way, Cowper, W., 1773). What happened in this believer’s life? His mother died when he was six. He fell in love but wasn’t allowed to marry her. He went to law school but couldn’t handle the Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
banquet and feast

Intimacy with God During Exile

Are you experiencing a new, even desperate, yearning for intimacy with God? Maybe it’s just me, but this pandemic has given me a deeper longing. Written for those experiencing discouragement, attack, and loneliness in exile, Isaiah 35 describes my longing well…maybe it will encourage you too. Five S’s leap from Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

A Wilderness To-Do List

I am a planner. As a teacher, I love planning backwards from goals, creating objectives and experiences for students. I love day planners, to-do lists, lesson plan templates. I look forward to events and gleefully plan details. Now, lists are shredded with canceled, ended plans and I’m left with an Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

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