peace with God

silhouette of a boat in the ocean during sunset

Our Prince of Peace in this time of tribulation

Lord Jesus, our Prince of Peace, When sorrows and sea billows roll… and we feel like we’re drowning, calm me, and any Christian reading these words.  Settle us.  Peace by the cross of Jesus, past tense! It’s only possible in the forever peace we have with our Father, the peace Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
ethnic sister and brother in angel costumes touching decorative clouds

Can we hear the angels sing into our suffering Christmas?

This week’s Christmas carol resonates. It sings of tragedy, tribulation, suffering upon suffering. It sings of the evil wreckage that we all experience in this fallen and broken world that’s groaning under the weight of sin and its effects on everyone. Including believers in Christ. But it also sings of 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
silhouette of mountains during dawn

Near to the heart of God as we suffer

Suddenly bedridden at the end of April. Brain surgery complications. Flat. Staring at the ceiling. Light and sound excruciatingly painful. Could be days, weeks, chronic. Causing the brain to slump.  Had cerebrospinal fluid leaking been the root of my underlying chronic illnesses over the last 36 years? Only God could Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
photo of woman raising both hands

Oh, this full and precious peace…as we suffer

O the power of love divine! Who its heights and depths can tell – Tell Jehovah’s grand design, To redeem our souls from hell? (“I am His and He is Mine,” Robinson, W., 1890) What’s your redemption story? His gift of redemption or justification happened for me when I was Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
bird s eye view of sea water

Escape suffering? Or dwell in God’s wonderful peace!

Sometimes, we just want the suffering to end. We just want it to be over so we can “live” again. But when it’s ongoing, chronic…we need God’s help…  to “dwell”…within it, with His peace. Sometimes, we try to run from it. We stuff it, pretend it’s not there, put on Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
three red heart decors

A crisis of faith, a bursting of love

God has woven some underlying themes into my 35 years of suffering from chronic illness and pain, much like themes in a sonata. As I read my prayer journals, one theme has been the ongoing need to believe the gospel…daily.  I see the subtle spiritual warfare and temptation of the Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago
round silver colored chronograph watch

How can we face a New Year? One hour at a time

I recently came to our Father with the pain of my suffering sisters in Christ as we live in this fallen world…cancer and chronic illness, depression and anxiety, financial and job pressures, loneliness and losses, death and grief, persecution, pains in motherhood and marriage, constant woundings of others… ”Oh Father, 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
aerial view of a city

Singing the gospel when I’m afraid 

Father, The deceiver tempts us to fear that You’re punishing us when we suffer. When the hits keep coming, and we read the words of the Old Covenant, we’re easily afraid it’s our fault. We must not be doing enough to “earn” Your favor. Our accuser tempts us to think Read more

By Lauri Hogle, ago

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