New book study! This month I am embarking on a verse by verse journey through Lamentations in the Old Testament.
One of the reasons I specifically wanted to slowly delve into this book is to uncover its profound insights on Biblically expressing our emotions.
I want to comfort people in a Biblical way, embracing the Bible’s holistic approach to our well-being.
Emotions can be messy and confusing. Bob Kellemen, a renowned former professor of biblical counseling at Faith Bible Seminary, sheds light on ways to express our feelings in a God-honoring manner. These same principles are beautifully woven throughout Lamentations as well.
First, there are two unbiblical ways to express emotion:
1. Out of control expression
Over controlled suppression
Out of control expression means indulging all of our feelings without any filter. It is what the Apostle Paul warned against in Ephesians 4:19 when he said people had sinfully “given themselves up to sensuality.” They did whatever they felt. Feelings became their god instead of their feelings directing them towards God.
Over controlled suppression means stuffing our feelings down or pretending they don’t exist. Paul also called this out in Ephesians when he said, “Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). Though it is not ok to sin, it is OK to acknowledge anger. Denial or self-deception towards our feelings does not work.
Where we see this in Lamentations: Lamentations is not a rant or an unmeasured outburst of feelings. It is a carefully constructed expression directed to God (e.g., “O LORD, behold my affliction” Lamentations 1:9). Yet the poet also did not suppress the very real hurt and pain he and others felt (e.g. “For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears… “ Lamentations 1:16).
Lord, enable and teach me to measure my emotions in a Holy way today. 🙌🏻❤️🙏
Paul opens up Ephesians by clearly stating his identity:
“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 1:1
Then – In Ephesians 1:4-10, Paul immediately begins by reminding us of our identity. Our identity in Christ is that we are holy and dearly loved children of God. We get this identity when we receive God’s gift of salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. This identity is not based on us, but rather, it is placed on us because we have been adopted into God’s family. Just like when a baby is placed into a family either through birth or adoption, they become a son or a daughter and take that family’s name as their identity. It is the same with our identity in Christ.
This isn’t because of our work, our successes or how good we try to be. We become children of God by grace through faith in Christ.
Paul wants our spiritual identity to frame our minds and thoughts. He desires to help us think rightly so that we may speak and act rightly.
An important truth is that our adoption to the Father is an action of pure love by a God who is not impersonal, but deeply connected and concerned with the objects of His love, you and I! 🥰🥰🥰
I was reminded of this powerful truth this morning – the longer I walk with the Lord sometimes I forget just how broken I was before I surrendered everything to him, and before I understood that my identity comes from him. I grew up in a deeply broken home. My father’s hands were representations of pain, hurt, abuse. My mother was so concerned with her own survival that she represented competition, coldness, self centeredness. This all led me to believe I was unworthy of love, safety, I felt as though I had no value.
Just hearing the simple gospel message had the power to begin to change me, it made me spiritually new, but it did not do the deep work inside of me to change where I found my own identity – only through diligent study of God’s word and submitting everything to him first before the world – have I been able to come to know and believe that I am my father’s daughter.
Friends, let’s not forget that our adoption as children of God comes with an expectation. When we remember and think of the great and glorious truth of being adopted by the King of heaven and earth, and that we share in the inheritance of the King, it should result in a desire to reflect and live up to the standard of the King and His Kingdom. This means instead of just going along with what the world deems acceptable in our thoughts and our words, that we set a higher standard for ourselves to “be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). To be holy and blameless includes allowing the truth of our adoption to lace the words that come from our mouth and inform every action of our hands and feet. It doesn’t mean we will always do this perfectly, but it does mean that we are daily checking and intentionally redirecting our thoughts and our words to stay in line with God’s instructions. It’s not because we are guilted into it but because we desire to stay free of the entrapments of the enemy that come from thoughts polluted with lies and words tainted with bitterness, slander and harshness.
Adoption means we now have God as our Father. It means that we receive the inheritance that could only legally be given to a son.
“When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, the people shook with fear, for that tribe was important in Israel. But the people of Ephraim sinned by worshiping Baal and thus sealed their destruction.
Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands. “Sacrifice to these,” they cry, “and kiss the calf idols!”
Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like dew in the morning sun, like chaff blown by the wind, like smoke from a chimney. “I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior.
I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land. But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me. So now I will attack you like a lion, like a leopard that lurks along the road.
Like a bear whose cubs have been taken away, I will tear out your heart. I will devour you like a hungry lioness and mangle you like a wild animal.” Hosea 13:1-8 NLT
Maybe the idea of carved images and pagan alters built on hillsides can feel far away from the practices of our current day. Maybe we’re tempted to read the prophecy of Hosea as though from a safe distance, believing the problems of God’s people and Hosea’s time are unrelated to today- self-centeredness however, is a problem for all people, including you and me.
 In Hosea’s day the people of God became enamored with and distracted by what Jesus would call “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things” (Mark 4:19). And the more they forgot God, the more irrational and immoral, their lives became. In Hosea 13:2, we even see that the people were willing to “offer human sacrifice” yet “kiss calves” made of metal- they valued false gods made by humans more than they valued humans made by God.
It would be remiss of me not to mention abortion here. Abortion is the baal worship of our current day. The self-centerdness of the “my body my choice” movement is nothing less than pride and the forgetfulness of God. Two pre-born human beings are murdered every minute of every day in the United States of America.
Just like in the times of Hosea, we too deserve God’s wrath but He remains patient.
God is showing you mercy right now, begging you to turn away from your sin and be reconciled to him. I love you and believe that the Lord is not slow about his promise but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9).
I was once an enemy of God too, but it was his grace that saved me and set me free to follow him. It would be hateful to withhold this truth from you when you have the chance to be washed clean and reconciled to your Creator. Today is the day of salvation. God‘s judgment will not delay forever.
This weekend while I was away Jackson was so brave and really did his best to utilize his tools and coping skills that we have built into our home. My family also did their very best to support him and let me have a weekend away, seeking the Lord with other women.
It always takes a full day or two for me to not have half my mind at home, a quarter dealing with guilt and a spirit of fear, and a quarter actually present in where I am at. But praise the Lord that He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:2).
Saturday night when I was really beginning to feel undivided – Zac calls me to say Jackson had locked the both of them out of his truck while it was running on some logging road, he needed my help and he was using a strangers phone. If I am being honest, it did take me a moment to pivot back to the thing I had been trying so hard to not worry about! But in that the Lord was so good to bring “stranger Steve” to my family, so they could use a phone and he gave them a ride home to get Jackson out of the woods in the dark. I got a roadside assistance driver dispatched and what should have taken him 3 hours actually only took about 40 minutes! He showed up and stranger Steve stayed at the end of the road to be sure he saw where Zac was.
I was praising the Lord and the enemy wasted no time trying to come after my family and my peace in my praising. But the enemy is weak compared to our God. 🙌🏻
I continued to praise and went back into the retreat. My family struggled in the hard in the middle of the night into the morning and day. Jackson’s meltdown came after as I am sure he was trying to process what all just happened- Zac was scheduled to teach in kids class but couldn’t do that while getting little sleep and with our son’s needs so high. A brother and sister graciously covered for him and us. ❤️🙏 It took a huge amount of humility for Zac to ask for help, this is kind of a weak spot of ours.
Meanwhile, I had no choice but to lay it all at my Savior’s feet and surrender it to Him – while I worshipped and covered my home, my husband, my son, in prayer.
God somehow strengthened ALL of our dependence on Him this weekend in a way least expected but also so true to Who He is – He is with us in all times and especially in the hards.
When the enemy whispers the lie that you are not known, seen, or understood –
Shout with praise the truth that God has an all-inclusive knowledge of us, our kids, our family members and friends. He knows us more than anyone else, even more than we know ourselves.
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Psalms 139:1-5 NLT
Thank you Lord for placing us in circumstances and situations to remind us of your sovereignty and our need of dependence on YOU alone Lord.
Guys – the enemy is a liar. 🤥 Our God is with us and He is fighting for us. 💕⚔️⛓️💥 Cover your home and your people in prayer. 🙏
“Do not fear, only believe” (Mk. 5:36). Jesus’s words in Mark show us that Faith is the solution to fear.
For my 9-5 job, I work with children and youth who are in foster care and their families. This involves investigating the circumstances that brought the children into care and combing through pages and pages of reports on a weekly basis. Just this last week I read that a client typically uses, “a boat and a half” of fentanyl multiple times a day. This phrasing caught my eye because for the first time in 10 years of reviewing these reports, I was not sure how much that meant… I did not know the “lingo” for this level of usage. I dropped to my knees praising the Lord that I did not know this! It reminded me of where Christ brought me from, He truly has “put a new song in my mouth” (Psalm 40:3).
This last month I have been doing a slow read through the book of Matthew. Matthew specifically grouped his book in topical order, not chronological order, with over 60% of the book containing teachings and guidance that Jesus personally spoke. Restoration to the Broken could be a title heading for the four miracles recorded in Matthew 9:18-38. In light of my reminder this week I want to look a little closer at two of these miracles recorded. A miracle restoring a Broken Home (vv 18-19, 23-26) and restoration of a Broken Hope (vv 20-22; Mark 5:26).
For sake of time I will not be including all of the passage text so I HIGHLY encourage you to look at the passages being discussed.
A BROKEN HOME: It must have been hard for Jairus to come to Jesus, since he was a devout jew and the leader in the synagogue. BUT Jairus’s love for his dying daughter compelled him to seek Jesus’ help, even if the religious leaders were opposing him. When Jairus first came to Jesus, his daughter was close to death. A delay caused by another woman ended with Jairus’s friends coming to relay the news that his daughter had died, no need to continue to bother the teacher.
Jesus, being compassionate, reassured Jairus and went with him.
This delay gave Jairus a great opportunity to see what a MEAGER Faith can accomplish.
No matter how our circumstances look, no matter what other’s say, no matter how we feel; We should trust Jesus and His promises. Jairus was frightened – yet Jesus took command and raised the girl from the dead.
The Gospel teaches us we are saved by GRACE not by worth
A Broken Hope: A woman who for 12 years had been ill with a hemorrhage, a discharge of blood. Mark 5:26 informs us that this woman had tried many physicians, but none could help her. Imagine the despair and discouragement she felt. Her hopes were shattered. Because of this hemorrhage, the woman was ceremonially unclean (Lev. 15:25), which only added to her hopelessness, as she had no community.
It is interesting that Jairus and this woman – two opposite people – met at the feet of Jesus. Jairus was a leading Jewish man; she wan an anonymous woman, with no prestige or resources.
He was a synagogue leader, while her affliction kept her from worship. Jairus came pleading for his daughter; the woman had a need of her own. The girl had been healthy for 12 years and then died; the woman had been ill for 12 years and was now whole. Jairus’s need was public – all knew it; the woman’s need was private only Jesus understood. Both Jairus and the woman trusted Jesus, and He met their needs.
Jairus could have resented the woman, because she kept Jesus from getting to his daughter before she died. But his real problem was not the woman but himself. He needed faith in Christ. Jesus forced the woman to give her testimony (See Mark’s account, Mark 5:25-34) BOTH for her sake and for the sake of Jairus. The fact the God has helped others ought to encourage us to TRUST Him more.
We can wait for the Lord – knowing that He is never late.
The woman’s faith was almost superstitious, and yet, Jesus honored it and healed her. We (people) must “touch” Christ where we/they are able, sometimes the starting place is at the hem of His garment. The Pharisees enlarged their hems and tassels in order to appear more spiritual, but they lacked the power to heal (Matt. 23:5). Others touched the hem of Jesus’s garment and were also healed (Matt. 14:34-36).
The woman’s meager faith reminded me this week of the amount of physicians, therapists, and others I consulted with when I was lost in my addiction, under the deep waters of sexual abuse and trauma, injuring my self as to show on the outside what an “outcast” I was on the inside and without community. Time and time again I sought healing but was never healed. Time and time again I walked away with a false hope, one that would slip away…
Until I touched the hem of Christ’s garment.
It was scary at first, scary to trust in something I could not see, something that required a full trust, but would leave me healed.
Now looking back over all of these years I can see just how small my Faith started out and how Jesus honored that and healed me. For some things it was quick and immediate like the woman with the hemorrhage, for other things it took time and took me growing in my faith, like Jairus I needed to see and hear the testimony of others, to trust what I could not see. To turn away from how things “looked” or “felt” to me and to Trust in Jesus.
I don’t know what your fear is today, friend. Maybe your are praying for healing for someone else, like Jairus was with his daughter or maybe your like the Woman and have an ailment of your own. Whatever it is, reach out for Christ.
Come like Jairus or come in fear and trembling like the Woman. The Greek word for “made well” can mean either “heal” or “save”. God is the one who heals. “In this instance this Woman’s FAITH was the divinely appointed means for her bodily healing AND for her spiritual salvation.”(Warren Wiersbe).
For me, I needed both healing and salvation, God brought what was dead to life.
Jesus did not come to mix the law and grace, HE came with New Life.
This girl was lostThis girl was brokenNow a Daughter of the King
Do not fear – only Believe… Jesus is the ONE who takes what is unclean and makes it clean, takes what is dead and brings it to New Life.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
When Sir James Simpson, the inventor of chloroform, was dying, a friend said to him, “You will soon be resting on His bosom.” The scientist replied: “I don’t know as I can do that, but I think I have hold of the hem of His garment.”
It is not the strength of our faith that saves us, but faith in a STRONG Savior.
I started a study on the book of Hebrews at the beginning of January. I am currently a few months in and rounding out the last two chapters. Hebrews is such a theologically rich book that it has caused me to overlook or under-consider (is under-consider a word?) the books presentation of:
Jesus is enough and Jesus is always the answer
The last two months I have had some things come up that have given me a fresh comfort of this truth. This book has been a major balm to my soul and has increased my ability to abide in my relationship with Christ. When condemnation has came knocking on the doors of my memories and anxiety of the unknown has tried to shake me… these truths overcome!
“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 ESV
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 ESV
Earlier this month I had a scare with some unexpected blood loss… I go to the doctor and get a referral to surgery, which I am waiting to be scheduled currently. At that same appointment, unexpectedly, the doctor found a large lump on each of my breasts. This month made exactly one year since my last breast cancer scare in which my faithful church family anointed and prayed for me.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15 ESV
So now I wait on another mammogram and diagnostic imaging but I wait knowing God has been faithful in the past and I can trust He will be faithful again. Because I can trust Him, and know He is never changing, I can have peace in this messy place and I know if I suffer well – I will be rewarded in this trial.
Suffering for the Christian always presents the opportunity for discipline and growth.
“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”” Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV
This month I also had someone reach out to me relaying that my earthly dad would like my address so he can write to me. This is a person who I have had zero contact with for over 14 years. This person was abusive in every way possible and in the past has denied any contact with me, even contact for me to relay I had forgiven him and would always continue to pray for him. In an act of grace and mercy, I said yes and sent my address. I cannot know if this persons heart has changed or what their intention is… but I can have faith in trusting the Lord to see me through whatever may be on the other side of this.
And I can know that I continue to pray with faith that my dad would confess his sins to the Lord, be forgiven, become a changed man, and one day join the Saints in Heaven.
Jesus endured the suffering of this world because He knew the outcome was worth it. You were worth it, friend and I was worth it. Jesus willingly obeyed God by coming to this world and in turn, it resulted in the restoration and reunion of God’s children. Jesus knew there was eternal salvation waiting beyond the suffering of this life! The same is true for us.
Eternity with Jesus awaits us. So what about this suffering in the meantime? If we allow it, this too can have eternal purpose. Our suffering can become a means of God’s discipline… let’s define the word “discipline”.
Discipline here does not mean punishment. Jesus already took our punishment. (Isaiah 53:5) The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible defines discipline as “Learning that molds character and enforces correct behavior; from a Latin word meaning instruction’ or ‘training.” Suffering can be a major means for us to learn, train and be molded into someone better. Much like using weights to discipline and condition our muscles, or using alarm clocks to discipline our use of time, if we let it, suffering can discipline our hearts toward empathy, compassion, understanding and more.
If you let Him, God can turn pain into something that will transform you and yield righteousness.
Friend, being a Christian does not mean that you will have a life free of pain and suffering BUT what it does mean is that: You have Jesus!
Jesus to cover you 🙌🏻 Jesus to walk beside you 🙌🏻 Jesus in the good times and the hard times 🙏 Turns out, He is more than enough ❤️
“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Quiet mornings with Jackson before work is one of my very favorite things ❤️
Jackson having a morning snack by the tree
Last week, every morning was chaos. Dogs, child, pee and poop 💩 of all kinds everywhere. Cold and flu season. All of the things. But man, God’s tender mercy got us through.
It’s hard not to be grateful when it’s Christmas time. A time filled with reminders of Promises kept.
🎄 Jesus, the Promised One, came to save and give grace. We cannot save ourselves, but Jesus died in our place so that we could be His forever and made new.
🎄 The Bible holds hundreds of Promises, and Jesus is the answer to each one. In Him, we have hope, joy, peace, and love.
🎄 Jesus came as the Promised One long ago.
👑 Someday, He is coming again to make all things right forever because God ALWAYS keeps His Promises.
🙌 God keeps every last one.
🙏 Cling to this truth today if you need it friend. The holidays can be hard. I remember for so long this time of the year had a sting. It was a reminder of all the things I did not have. I did not have a safe home, family, a warm place to snuggle or a soft place to land. And some years were just dark.
🍎 I can now look back and see that I was hearing the lies of the enemy over the trumpet of grace. I was hearing the lies of the enemy say I was not worthy instead of knowing My King 👑 calls me Worthy.
Because of Christ, I now walk in freedom from the bondage of sin that leads to death. ✝️
The greatest gift of Joy is knowing Christ. You CAN rest in His faithfulness to us now and in the future as we remind our heart’s of God’s faithfulness in the past.
Friend, I don’t know why you may be hurting today- It may be because it is cold and flu season and you have poop all over your house or maybe it’s something deeper that you may not even know how to say –
Let me encourage you with a gentle reminder: HEALING AND HOPE will only be found in Jesus. Not in the Pinterest worthy pictures or elaborate decorations this season.
In Christ alone is rest, joy, comfort. Behold Him this season.
One of the things I can look forward to in times of difficulty is how the Lord is going to use that thing or season to teach me.
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.” 2 Corinthians 4:8 NLT
These are also times that I recognize the depth of my sin and the magnitude of the cross. It’s easy to not grumble when things are going well. But when things are hard like long season hard – that’s where you get to exercise your faith. This last week at Bible study we reflected on muscle memory. For me I want my muscles to remember we find rest in Christ, I want my muscles to instinctively speak scripture and words of life in the crevices of our broken world and my difficult circumstances. I want to be strong in the Lord.
I want to recognize that time with Christ is ALWAYS better than “me time”. And here I am in the middle of circumstances that present just the opportunity to work out 🏋️♀️ my muscles.
Even when we are not perfect in our pursuit of God, which is always… God is gracious to provide us with times of refreshment to minister to both our physical and spiritual needs.
I skipped some of my time in the Word this week and I could feel and instant change/shift in my heart and in the focus of my mind and thoughts. Jackson got up at 2:30 this morning and there was no indication I would be successful in getting him back to sleep. I grumbled and was frustrated and began to go over the list in my head of reasons why this is just the worst thing to be added to my plate and you know all the things…
Then I stopped and I thought about the great pains Jesus took to prioritize time with the Father.
I repented. Got up and grabbed my Bible. With Jackson in tow.
Just like Jesus did with the loaves and fishes, He is faithful to multiply our efforts so that time spent with Him is never wasted AND often amplifies any efforts that follow.
So I take 20 mins during the work day when my desk and heart feel a mess – to spend time with the ONE who orders my steps and days. And when my sweet boy is struggling to rest I want to show him where true rest comes from.
Let us not replace His peace “that surpasses all understanding” with quick fixes and bandaids that fall off and never satisfy. (Phil. 4:7).
George Muller once said in response to the claim of being too busy to spend time with God, that four hours of work after one hour of prayer would accomplish more than five hours without prayer. George practiced what he preached and spent his entire adult life relying on prayer to communicate his needs to the Lord so clearly that he refused to raise money for his orphanage, trusting instead the promise of Phil. 4:19, “God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Today may my response be to and in all things the reality that says,
In Christ “my cup runneth over”.
““You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”” Luke 11:11-13 NLT
These hidden years have been hard. The Lord has been giving me (us) more than I feel like I can handle of BOTH joy & pain. As expected the antibiotics caused a significant set back for Jackson in his gut health which leads to behavioral issues and his entire sensory system being high jacked.
At the end of each day to help Jackson prepare for sleep and his night time routine I brush him. What I am using here in this picture is a tactile brush made with a ton of little fine bristles, rubbing one direction is soothing and tells his body to relax and brushing in the other direction is alerting and sort of ticklish. Jackson has not been ticklish at all and instead has even been asking me to brush his palms and bottoms of feet which is typically too stimulating but in this season he needs the input to help him feel where his body is in space.
Brushing for sensory integration
👉This is why he runs up to people and crashes hard into them when what he really is wanting is a hug. 👉This is why he has the urge right now to stand up on tables and high places just to be seen because being down low he feels invisible. 👎And it’s these things and others like it that is the hardest to communicate to those around him. It’s these behaviors that people don’t understand or desire to. It’s these things that keep us “integrated” but never really “included”. Integration and Inclusion are two different things…
So it’s been in these moments the Lord has shown me that grief left unattended will be become anger. Grief left unattended is exactly what the enemy will use to keep you out of church, isolated, alone and distanced from Jesus. Even Jesus wept – but I in my pride have not.
Grief left unattended will become anger
I guess my message for today is SURRENDER 🙌 Surrender it all to Jesus. Lord help me to approach today with intentional and obediant faith – give me a fresh appreciation for your grace. 🙏
May our affections for our YOU and our children increase each day as we “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us Heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).
I am clinging to: ❤️ scripture for truth ❤️ confidence of my identity in Christ ❤️ holding fast to biblical conviction
I don’t know why some of us seem to get an extra portion of hurt or grief… but I DO KNOW the one ☝️ who pours it out and He is GOOD and I CAN trust Him.
Opportunities for distraction, excuses, and envy abound – but the answer is always the same: Follow Jesus 👣
This sweet memory popped up for me today out of my Facebook photos, and I can do nothing else but think of all the ways the Lord has been faithful to us these last five years. 🙏 I had no idea what the path ahead would be – but HE did.
Me changing my sweet son just before he turned a year old
“God’s grace to sustain us through painful circumstances is stronger and is mightier and is much better than any deliverance out of those circumstances.” -Joni Eareckson Tada
🙌 Amen!
God’s grace these last 5 years as I have learned more deeply what it means to be a wife, a mother, and most importantly a disciple of Christ – has been life giving!
God’s grace is greater than any diagnosis, financial difficulty, broken expectation, or hurt. Insert your own hard into this fill in the blank:
God’s grace is greater then my ——————-!
God has great compassion for His children 👇
“but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:32-33 ESV
God allows for us to suffer for a little while so that we will be strengthened and so that our HOPE will rest in Him 👇
“My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” Psalms 119:71 NLT
God answers prayer 👇
“Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” Psalms 119:50 NLT
Share His hope and testify of His goodness 👇
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT
Experience the Joy that is ONLY found in God’s presence 👇
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalms 16:11 NLT
While everything else will fail you and waste away – Jesus can be trusted 🙌
REST in HIM!
👉 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.❤️ My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT
The Meek Momma 