down angle photography of red clouds and blue sky

Children, don’t grow weary

My sister in Christ shared her weariness. She was just “over it all.” The fatigue of earthly life felt weighty and weary to her, mostly because it seemed unending. Even in her tiredness, she wasn’t sleeping well; insomnia compounded her emotional and physical weariness. Sister, don’t grow weary! Jesus came with Read more…

woman looking up at birds

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

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…

race of endurance

I Praise You in a Kingdom-Focused Race of Endurance

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…

two hands reaching to each other

Blessed are the Peacemakers

I detest being in conflict. Relational conflict keeps me up at night. I run past conversations on repeat in my mind, ruminate on words I might say tomorrow, and kick myself with guilt for what I did or didn’t say today. When someone disagrees with me, my knee-jerk response is to Read more…

prayer hands

A Healing Peace in Problems

I felt anything but a healing peace in my problems. I was “wearied by the length of [my] way” (Is. 57:10 ESV) and I felt down, low, and weak. My frustration and anxiety over unwanted problems produced exhaustion. No wonder I felt no peace. I needed to look away from my desperate Read more…

singing praise to God fosters trust in God

Singing the Gospel Into Your Stress

I call it “micro-stress” when I chat with students. We laugh about it, but there is a quiet knowing and empathy about its compounding challenge. You know…that underlying anxiety caused by constant infusion of horrific on the news. That incessant loud of needing the next “like” on social media, of Read more…

trust hope in God

Reset of trust: Jesus is our present and future hope

“There is no future hope. The doctors say so. Not for continued life on this earth, anyway.” https://laurihogle.com/about/ “There is no hope. The news anchors say so. There is no future hope.”  “Things will never be the same again. Everyone says so.”  “Everything is crashing and life plans seem totally ruined Read more…

fortress

Fortress in the storm

Watching the radar, we knew it was coming. Time to inventory TP, bread, milk, canned goods. The storm bled red all over the screen. Hunker down in our basement. Exhausting, stay-up-all-night fear.  Immense interruption of normal life. Storms are chaotic, noise-filled, demanding constant attention and threatening our minds with imagined Read more…

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