So, why in the world would I show you all my dirty laundry? Well, not laundry. I would never show you that! But, why would I show you my mess? Because the Lord impressed something so precious on my heart, as I walked through the mess, stepping over wires from my husband's studio, and trying to find a square foot to set my bags down on after work. You see, I just finished speaking at a lovely weekend retreat called Revealed Retreat: Discover Who I Am in Christ. I challenged the ladies to give the Lord the deepest parts of their hearts - even the rooms of their hearts that they have shut the doors on for years. In the fight to stay positive and to keep from drowning in pain, sorrow and despair, people tend to avoid difficult conflict that arises when dealing with broken relationships and pain from the past. It's easier to ignore things and to just keep stuffing. These are things that may give us PTSD, if we decide to unpack them.
For the Love of My Daughter – What separation teaches me about love.
Today, in the bittersweet parting of ways with my college age daughter, I found profound perspective. I know the feeling of longing to have one more long walk, one more hug, one more shared couch with her head on my shoulder. Separation is an ache that reminds me of the relationship's tender value.
God calls the things that are not…as though they are….
12 years ago, my husband and I started Emmaus Church with my parents, Mike and Jeanne Dean. I remember in the very early days, before our first service at Emmaus even began, we joined together with Living Water Church to do a Christmas program. I wrote up a short and fun theatrical program with various …
Continue reading "God calls the things that are not…as though they are…."
A Revelation to my heart….
God spoke to me one day and gave me some insights into our messy, fallen state and how to overcome. Two Saturdays ago, I spoke about this at Revive! Women's conference for Emmaus Church. Here is part 1. The topic is prayer. Why it matters. Why I need it. How to overcome the obstacles to …
God of all comfort
Comfort. It is a word that draws many mental images. I imagine "The comfort of my own home" in my jammies, or some may imagine something totally different like Southern Comfort. I have very comfortable slippers I got for Christmas and yoga pants, whose comfort zap the productivity right out of me. Last night I …
