You, my friend, are surrounded by God’s presence. Some days, your thoughts might tell you otherwise, but don’t believe them. Instead, hold onto the promise found in —”Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.” The Cambridge English dictionary defines surround as “to be everywhere around… [ read more ]
Posts Tagged: God’s presence
3 Truths About the Hard Places of Life
No one enjoys the hard places of life, but sometimes they’re the richest. Genesis 28 tells the story of Jacob traveling to his uncle Laban’s home. This wasn’t a joy ride. He was running from his twin brother who wanted to kill him for stealing his blessing. () One night, Jacob set up camp and… [ read more ]
Spiritual Distancing and How to End It
Everywhere we go nowadays, we see reminders to stay six feet from other people. Arrows on floors, signs on walls, markers on chairs, and plastic dividers in public places tell us that social distancing is a thing. I thought this “distancing” concept was new to 2020. Imagine my surprise when I discovered… [ read more ]
3 Truths About Life’s Hard Places
Genesis 28 tells the story of Jacob traveling to his uncle Laban’s home. This wasn’t a fun excursion. He was on the run from his twin brother who wanted to kill him for stealing his blessing. () One night Jacob set up camp and found—get this—a stone—yes, a stone—for a pillow. Can… [ read more ]
The Tough Question of Suffering
So consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ( NLT) Having struggled with chronic pain for three decades, my sister has an insider’s perspective on suffering. She recently told me that the most common question believers and non-believers ask… [ read more ]
The Lord Helps Us: A Basic but Life-Changing Truth
Earlier this week I listened to an interview on Focus on the Family. The guest told of her husband suddenly becoming ill and passing away within 24 hours. She not only became a 31-year-old widow, but she also became a single mom with two preschool boys. She spoke about how God had prepared her… [ read more ]
Be Encouraged — God Holds Your Hand
When my kids were preschoolers, I often took them for walks around the neighborhood. At that time, our house was located on a road with a 50 mph speed limit. Cars, trucks, motorbikes, and school buses sped past all day. There literally was no safe place to walk on our side of the road…. [ read more ]
Smile — Someone’s Thinking About You
I lived in Washington state from 1985-1996. During that time, my only sister moved to Ontario so her husband could attend university there. Nearly 2600 miles and three time zones separated us. Driving that distance would take 38 hours. Health issues and having a new baby kept her mostly confined to her home, so… [ read more ]
Include Jesus 24/7
“Never do anything without Jesus’s enthusiastic agreement,” said the pastor in his sermon yesterday. “If you can’t come to agreement, then don’t do it.” Then he gave several examples to teach his congregation how to apply these words. “I feel like watching _____________ on TV this evening. What do You think about that, Jesus?” … [ read more ]
A Prayer for Today
What are your plans for today? I’m flying to Eugene, Oregon to speak at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference tomorrow. My husband will drop me off at the Bellingham airport early so he can spend the afternoon dealing with details surrounding our summer ministry trips. Perhaps your day will be filled with caring… [ read more ]
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