Life’s storms linger but won’t last forever. A friend clung to this truth when one hardship after another struck her. First, her infant son became ill and died. She was still reeling when life-threatening illnesses hit several extended family members, and her husband lost his job. She felt like she was living in Job’s… [ read more ]
Posts Tagged: God’s sovereignty
3 Truths about Finding Joy
How do you define joy? My favorite definition is one by Kay Warren: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” This… [ read more ]
How’s Your Heart Today?
I wish I could chat with each of you over a cup of coffee or tea and hear your answer to this question: “How’s your heart today?” Are you feeling like you’ve been through the wringer? Like you’ve been doing battle too long? Like your faith has been stretched as far as it… [ read more ]
Hanging onto Hope
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” ( ESV) Does anyone out there remember the poster picture of a kitten dangling from a knotted rope, its claws embedded in the fibrous nub? It’s still… [ read more ]
God is Always Right, Even In the Shadows
“…the Lord our God is right in everything he does.” ( NCV) Life is stinkin’ hard sometimes. Sooner or later, we walk through the shadows where mystery shrouds our understanding. Our faith tells us that God is still in control, but sometimes our pain causes us to question His ways, and—dare I say it?… [ read more ]
3 Truths to Remember When Life Hurts
Life often brings challenges, disappointments, and heartaches. As I write this, I’m thinking of the families affected by Pittsburgh’s tragedy and the plane crash in Indonesia. What can one say to console them? Closer to home, I’m thinking of three friends whose husbands have walked away from their marriages since June. I’m thinking… [ read more ]
When God Says, “Now”
On New Year’s Day I opened my Bible to . There, in the margin, I read the words I’d written sometime in the past: “God’s purposes may sometimes appear blurry, but He is always at work quietly behind-the-scenes. At some point He says, ‘Now.’ He takes action, and details begin falling into place in… [ read more ]
God’s Got the Details
This week’s been a game of “Good News, Bad News.” It began last Friday after Gene and I drove more than 12 hours to attend a family reunion in southern Alberta. Good news: Our eldest daughter and her husband—from Washington state—were able to join us. Bad news: Our youngest daughter and her husband,… [ read more ]
No Surprises for God
Life often takes us by surprise. The unexpected happens and leaves us feeling frazzled or fearful. We might become angry, disappointed, dejected, or even panicked. But remembering that nothing surprises God changes everything. We ought to find consolation in knowing that God doesn’t wring His hands and fret when the unexpected strikes: “Oh my goodness,… [ read more ]
When God’s Purposes Overrule Our Plans
Sometimes God’s purposes overrule our plans. That happened to me this weekend in a most unexpected way.
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