Wildfires: A Force of Destruction A couple months ago, my friend and I drove through Rocky Mountain National Park, up to the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 feet, down to the Continental Divide at 10,759 feet, and on to the trails, landscapes, and vistas beyond.Β Iβd never been on the western side of the park, […]
For the Diamonds Summer Event at the end of June, I gave a presentation titled “The Master’s Call to Rest.” Here’s the short, written version of my 45-minute session. (You can watch the entire session, and the other speakers’, with the all-access pass.) From the Creation account in Genesis to the descriptions of Heaven in […]
Have you ever struggled with your sense of value? Do you feel like youβre worth less (or perhaps completely worthless) because of your chronic illness? Do you question what you can offer to the world, to a special someone, or to God Himself with your limited capacities? I know I have. Lots of times. Itβs […]
Two weeks ago we looked at the context for Jeremiah’s letter to the Jewish captives and God’s message to them (and us): stop panicking, pick up your hammer, and make yourself at home. In other words, don’t fight what is part of God’s plan for good. We also saw how part of making ourselves at […]
I just finished re-reading The Lord of the Rings again. Each time I read this masterpiece I gain a new layer of appreciation for the story, the writing, the characters, the themes, and the language. While all those things impacted and inspired me afresh this time around, I also found a new connection with Frodo […]
After looking at Jeremiah’s personal lament and his journey from hopeless to hopeful, both of which provide great encouragement for those of us in chronic illness, we come to a part of the chapter that continues the God-focused, hope-giving theme while introducing a more somber note of introspection. Part 3: Verses 31-42 KAPH 31 For […]
A couple of months ago, the pastor of my church preached a sermon from II Corinthians 4:7-18 that really encouraged me in my chronic illness struggles. With his permission, Iβm sharing his outline and both our notes in hopes the message will encourage you too. The message was titled “Humbly Ministering for His Glory.” I. […]
Click here to read last week’s post. Recap: 1. You are not the main character, God is. 2. God has a plan, it’s for good, and it will be accomplished in your life. 3. God wants to use your suffering Another theme that shows up often on this blog is Godβs redemption of our pain […]
Have you ever listened to a sermon that fit in all the right places where you needed that exact encouragement, perspective, or conviction (or all three), as if God custom built the message to your current situation? Thatβs how I felt when I listened to a Youtube sermon on the life of Joseph, preached by […]
Here’s a testimony from two years ago that I wrote and shared with a few others at the time. I pray God can encourage you with the same truths He used to encourage me in my time of need. βπ π«πΆπ΄π΅ π₯π°π―βπ΅ πΆπ―π₯π¦π³π΄π΅π’π―π₯ πΈπ©πΊ!β Sunday night after church. I sat on the kitchen floor, my […]
The Valley