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reaching for Eden
Headlines scream the unthinkable; trauma and terror splash across the canvas of our otherwise routine lives. We are left gasping at the shock of it all. Perhaps the latest disaster struck some other community this time, but imagination stirs our empathy, bringing it uncomfortably close to home. Barely a day escapes without some grim reminder of the world’s brokenness. Each new tragedy chips away at our peace, tempting us to give way to despair. Surely even the most faith-filled among us has lifted up that agonizing cry: It isn’t supposed to be like this! That’s true, you know. This isn’t how things were meant to be; our hearts were not…
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doorway to hope
Crossing the threshold of the dining room, an oversized wall clock caught my attention. Its hands had been removed, indicating a suspension of time in this place dedicated to hosting memorable moments. God had brought me here to celebrate life—of that, I felt convinced. Yet, I couldn’t drown out the ominous ticking that sounded in my mind, counting down toward the expiration of my hopes. I’d prayed God would write a love story with my life: this didn’t seem to be it. Still, I clung to the truth of His faithfulness, determined to believe He hadn’t forgotten me.
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let every heart prepare Him room
We have lately been swept up into a tangled net of deception, cunningly set to strip us of hope and submerge us in confusion, isolation, and discouragement. The calendar broadcasts a season of Light, and we dutifully veil our inner darkness with a veneer of celebration. Fully aware that we are lying to ourselves, we seek to keep at bay the One who sees us. Foolish? Or simply desperate? Likely both … Is there a way out?
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vibrant
An earlier post I shared — the first about my struggle to live the single life well — received more comments and feedback than anything else I’ve written in recent memory. That told me something I had already suspected: that I’d touched a nerve, connected with an unmet need. In writer-speak, I may just have landed on my “platform.” There is a weight on this message, an urgency to speak it forth, yet I feel a bit as if I am stumbling around in the dark, stubbing my toes as I grope for the light that was just right there a moment ago. What is it, Lord, that You would…
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hope deferred
One by one, I’ve been flinging open the doors to all the hidden closets in my heart, inviting the Spirit to blow through with His cleansing, invigorating breath. All the doors, that is, except this one. This one has remained tightly latched, painstakingly guarded, deliberately ignored. Until now. I wasn’t ready yet to write on this topic in my 20s, or even in my 30s. I’ve had to endure the long wait, to experience both love and loss, to learn to find hope on the other side of heartbreak. And now — now that I’ve spent time in all these excruciating, unsought valleys — I find myself in a new…
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Adoration
I don’t know how it is for you, but my internal sense of celebration rarely lines up precisely with the seasons. For example, it wasn’t until this morning, a full two days after Thanksgiving, that my heart began to swell with spontaneous gratitude. After sleeping late, I made myself a cup of tea and nestled into the deep cushions of my couch. Pen in hand, I sought to capture the waves of love rising up inside me, the wealth of worship pouring forth. As always, words fell short and I closed my eyes, sinking into this sense of sweetest grace. My heart falls to its knees before You in wonder…
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Festivals of Faith
Less than a decade ago, I was introduced to an element of Scripture that helped make sense of scattered pieces and revitalized my faith in incredible ways. Through these teachings, I was reminded that our God is a God of pattern and order, a God who wants to be known by His creation, and One who goes to great lengths to make sure we see Him for who He truly is. At first, I was stunned that anyone who was as familiar with the Bible as I was by that point could completely miss such a critical component for understanding God’s Word. I’m afraid I turned rather scornful at the…
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A Parable of Hope & Healing
“Lord, Your Bride, the one You love, is sick.” The sisters Grace and Truth had urged the messenger forward; hastening to the Master’s side, he gasped out the devastating news. Lord, the one You love is sick! The Master did not appear startled or shocked by the news; He well knew the condition of His Beloved. He had seen her struggles, her angst. He watched as she had scorned her purity, prostituting herself to attract the World. He witnessed her growing bitterness, felt the full force of her betrayal; He absorbed the sting as she turned her back on Him to chase after the wind. “This sickness will not end in death,” He…
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Another Side of Surrender
A rather extreme set of peaks and valleys has loomed up over the past weeks. I find myself not only battling my own inner landscape, but trying to do it through a fog of what seems an awful lot like seasonal depression, as one snowy gray day follows another in oppressive succession. It is hard enough just to function — dragging my weary self out of bed is a daily struggle. I feel tired most of the time, and I have to work up even the most fleeting enthusiasm. I want to fight! I want to rid myself of this clinging monster, but I am so weak … as much as I hate…
