Conntecting the Dots

Posts Tagged: praise

Finding Courage and Strength Through Songs of Praise

Finding courage and strength through songs of praise became a living reality to me during a  time when I felt emotionally and physically depleted. I filled my home with worship music during those difficult days, but I also basked in the beauty of worship songs sung in church every Sunday morning. The sound of six… [ read more ]

Finding Calm in the Midst of Chaos

Finding calm in the midst of chaos is hard to do sometimes. When I’m in a tough situation, my thoughts tend to flit from one thing to another, bouncing between what’s happened, what could happen, and what needs to happen. In order to respond to the challenge well, I have to continually bring my thoughts… [ read more ]

Finding Peace in the New Year

  Every so often I review, update, and recycle my archived blogs. This one, originally published in December 2019, remains eerily relevant. Scroll down to read the first paragraph, and you’ll probably feel the same way I did:  it sounds just like this year except COVID isn’t mentioned.   When I wrote the following words… [ read more ]

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 Having a Focus-Word Helps Us Grow

  At the start of each year, I ask the Lord to give me a focus word. A couple of years ago, my word was “joy.” It reminded me to reframe the way I viewed difficulties. I learned to see them not as hindrances but as opportunities to experience God’s presence and promises in new… [ read more ]

You Matter to an Amazing God

  Sailor-Man and I are anchored at Thetis Island as I write this, grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the coastal waters once more. We weren’t sure we’d have another chance this year after our engine failure in August, but he figured out the issue and made the repairs.   One of the things I… [ read more ]

3 Keys to Hope When You Don’t Know How the Story Ends

When we read a story, we have a distinct advantage over the characters involved: We know how it ends. As the protagonists struggle with various conflicts, we want to cheer them on: “Hang in there—you’re going to be okay.”   Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery when he was about seventeen years old. Later, his… [ read more ]

Car Wrecks and Faith Stories

I get to spend the weekend with our son and his family. Every time we visit, our grandkids ask this question: “Grandma, would you please tell us a story from your life?” What an invitation to share a faith story! This time I’ll tell them about how God provided a different car following our accident… [ read more ]

God is Awesome

Come everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the LORD Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. ( NLT)   We use the word “awesome” to describe a variety of things: a breathtaking sunrise, an entertaining movie, an unexpected good deal when paying for items… [ read more ]

Today’s a Gift

  Lord, thank You for this and every day.   “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” says Psalm 118:24. These words resonate with us some days more than others. Do you agree? Our family recently vacationed at a lakefront cabin. Waking up to waterski and… [ read more ]