Even though we sometimes doubt God’s nearness, we must seek God with all our heart . . . especially when it has been broken into a million pieces.
Spicing Up Your Summer: Fabulous Family Vacations
I love photo apps that bring to our fingertips our wondrous world! Pristine blue waters, towering snow-covered mountains, bursts of sun breaking through mountain tops, or the glow reflected off a glassy lake at sunset.
(Image from Unsplash)
But why just look at photos when, instead, you could make a big splash with your family this summer by going to one of these places? No matter your budget, possibilities abound!
Even in suffering, there is hope if we choose to depend on Christ and place our lives in His sovereign care. But we cannot do it alone; we must support one another.
A Checklist for Living Well
There’s a great NPR podcast titled How I Built This. I love it! It’s about people who have created, invented, or started movements that have become highly successful.
(Image from Unsplash)
I’ve listened to interviews with the founders of Whole Foods, Spanx (Every woman say AMEN!), Lyft, Crate and Barrel, and Kate Spade, to name a few.
Every interview seems to involve shared themes:
During times of suffering, we are on the front row of watching God work. His ways are unlimited, incredible, beyond description.
How to Stop Your World from Spinning out of Control
Sabbatical. It sounded so holy . . . but it was beyond essential. This past winter, more than a few folks “strongly suggested” I take some time off work to rest, refresh . . . and breathe.
(Image from Pixabay)
I have been at my current job for 10 years but can count on one hand the number of vacations I’ve taken. On top of that, a series of life-changing events had dried up my creative juices. So, I agreed to take some time off.
Sabbatical sounds far more worthy than just “downtime.” The concept comes straight from Scripture: at the time of creation, God’s creative juices were full throttle.
Yet at the height of all His creative goodness, God chose a day (literal or figurative) to sit back and savor His finished work. Genesis 2:2–3 tells us:
Either we choose to live in bondage, using every ounce of energy to force down the worry, despair, shame, fear, or denial. Or we choose to allow our displaced grief to surface, so we might deal with it bit by bit.
Strategic Warfare: How to Thrive on the Battleground
Okay, it’s not a secret in my house, so I might as well share it with you: I hate almost all bugs. God has a purpose for all living things . . . I know that.
By Emergency Brake [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
However, I find it quite rude when vermin sneak around my house, bite or sting at will, and then mosey back to their little hideaways.
I also hate bacteria and viruses because they are invisible to the naked eye. How well can we fight something potentially deadly that we can’t even see?
It’s time to make the decision to talk with the Lord today—to thank Him for the hard times because they have caused you to plunge into His sovereign care.
An Agent of Change in a Suffering World
Ten minutes and her life was forever changed. It was a beautiful morning as my friend headed out the door for work. She called her husband to wish him a good day as she walked to her car.
(Image from Unsplash)
During the phone call, she heard a sound behind her and looked to see what it was. She was being ambushed. A surge of “fight or flight” chemicals flooded her body just as the first punch smashed her jaw.