loss

close up photo of bare hands

My suffering Savior’s songs of lament and hope

As my unmanaged chronic pain escalated on top of needed caregiving tasks, with long travel to help loved ones, and grief in losing a loved one…all at the same time…our Lord had already been inviting me to study the Psalms through my daily Bible reading plan. This time, He’d prompted Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
farmer holding lambs together

Christ will hold me fast, to the very end

When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast; When the tempter would prevail, He can hold me fast! (“He Will Hold Me Fast,” Habershon, A. R., 1906) I wonder if Ada wrote these lyrics into her deep suffering, so difficult that she feared she might leave Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

Rest in the gospel, into loss and grief

Grief’s shock. Another loss? Affecting children, grandchildren? Emotion’s waves and storms. Exponential, thickening layers of pain. Overwhelmed. Darkness threatens to stifle joy and hope.  May this prayer be His rest in the gospel if you are also grieving losses. As I suffer, in my unrest, rest in the gospel Thy Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
text on a white paper

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
grayscale photo of person holding feet and hands

God’s promised forever family of love

Abba Father,  You made a most beautiful promise to Your people, offering them hope…six years before Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. You knew they would need it, and You know I need to remember my hope in Christ today. Into this very judgment for their sin, You promised:  “I will Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a woman in a white dress stands in front of a large stone building

Dear Refuge of my weary soul, I sing a love song

What is the “new commandment” from Jesus for us? Jesus echoes 2 Kings 23:25, telling us to “turn to the LORD with all,” a holistic, embodied, interconnected turning of our affections, thoughts, and emotions. In the weary wilderness of suffering, our souls long, our emotions thirst, our bodies faint, and our minds Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
a woman sits on a rock beside the lake

What do I need to think about as I suffer? Jesus. 

Jesus, turn my eyes to You. My suffering overwhelms, loss and grief profound. My thoughts are only of my needs. They engulf me. You promise to “supply every need” I have, according to our Father’s “riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19 ESV). Today, I need to think of Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
woman in blue fur coat holding a bible

Draw me nearer, blessed Lord, in the wounding

Lord, Sometimes I can’t even find the words to pray. I’m so weakened and overwhelmed in the wounding that I can barely breathe. Thank You for the lyrics of suffering songwriters who also needed to sing their prayers. Like Fannie Crosby, a blind sister in Christ who sang into her Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
lake water

In Christ Himself lies my peace as I suffer

As I shared last week, I recently underwent a week of lying flat in bed, staring at the ceiling, asking God to heal the pain-full problem with my brain’s cerebrospinal fluid. I couldn’t comfortably read or listen to anything. All I had was Jesus and talking to Him, hearing His 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

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