I have two big folders of artwork from college that I’ve never thrown away. I was in college at Gardner-Webb University (a wonderful small Baptist college in North Carolina) from 1996-2000. I recently remembered two charcoal sketches I did in drawing class. They were of Mary and Joseph, with words from Christmas hymns scrawled in the background. These are very similar to the image I created for the poem about the woman at the well a few weeks ago...
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy, never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love I don’t know about you, but my heart easily gets out of tune. We’ve been in a long season of God doing something, but we’re not sure what. I don’t know when or...
I don’t know the season you’re facing today. When it’s not one thing, it’s another, right? Waiting. Despairing. Doubting. All the various kinds of suffering possible, and there are many. The gospel writers don’t skip around this reality: “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor. 1:5 ESV). We may not be able to sort out all the intricacies of God’s plans in our suffering, but we do know...
Sometimes it’s hard to get on this blog and say encouraging things, whether from a place of my own personal trials or the ones I share with those I love. And yet, the good news is still good. I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small, Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.” It’s hard for me to reconcile the goodness of God and pain. My tendency is to push...
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV) My dad...
January 16, 2017
featured•hope•trials•waiting
Not by might + Zechariah 4:6 Bible Verse Coloring Page
“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!'” 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of...
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the...
Isn’t “help” such a simple, but beautiful word? It brings encouragement and relief. It says “You’re not alone. I’m in this with you.” This week my husband unexpectedly came home early from work one day and announced that he had taken the rest of the afternoon off. He would get the kids down for rest time and I was free to take a nap or do whatever else I needed to do. Truly, it was a beautiful thing for...
Have I mentioned that this season of motherhood is wearing me out? I know I’m not the only one feeling more weak than strong these days. We all have our own brew of weaknesses made up of internal and external factors. My recipe? Allergy headaches. Anxiety. Depression in the family tree. Introversion in house of chatty girls. Seven months of interrupted sleep. Sometimes I wonder why God knit me together this way (Psalm 139:13). Wouldn’t I be more effective strong? ...
