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5 Powerful Truths About Trusting God in the Valley
I weave through a mantle of green rose bushes, wood nettle, and poison oak. It’s growing darker here in the valley behind our house. I’m sure our children are racing across the backyard in the evening sunlight, but it feels like night in the valley. As I walk, I consider what trusting God in the valley really looks like. Trusting God in the Valley As the valley walls block out the sun’s last rays, I recall a valley we faced when winter’s arms still stretched white over these hills. I rest on a fallen sycamore and watch trout jump as they eat the flies rising from black water. Looking back,…
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How to Hope in God When He Makes You Wait
The world is turning green from the bottom up. I’ve always been captivated by this change. I can’t help but wonder if this life rising from darkness is meant to teach us how to have hope in God while we wait. Something powerful happens in hidden places. The daffodils and skunk cabbage climb out of some hidden place deep beneath the surface. The forest floor is alive and green long before the tallest maples burst into color. Every time it happens, I’m drawn in, as if for the first time. Maybe it’s because this change is reminiscent of my own journey. Change happens in hidden places, quiet places, and unseen…
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4 Things to Do When You Feel Helpless
I remember the way the shadows danced on the walls as I held her through the night, the ulcers in her mouth burning with a relentlessness that made sleep hard to find. I’d bring her to the bed and let her whimper in my arms as her three-year-old body slipped in and out of sleep, and it felt like something in me just might tear wide open. And what in the world are you supposed to do when you feel helpless over the situations that matter most in your life? It was a medical condition that shaped our lives for over a year, and most of the time we felt…
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4 Prayers for Hope and Peace in Difficult Times
I’m sorting through my eight-year-old’s backpack when I hear the words echo from the TV in the living room. Another shooting. Fatalities. Children running for safety with their arms stretched in the air. Bowing my head at the table, I turn to the Lord with urgent prayers for hope and peace in this broken world. 4 Prayers for Hope and Peace We’re all facing the consequences of living in a fallen world. We all face dark days and troubled times. After a few minutes of prayer, I think about this as I set the homework on the dining room table and hand my sweet girl a snack. My mind drifts…
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10 Bible Verses About Unanswered Prayers
God’s ways are different than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Yet it’s not easy to trust him when our prayers seem to go unanswered. The best place to turn when God doesn’t seem to hear our prayers is his Word. Today, we’ll dig into a list of Bible verses about unanswered prayers. These Scriptures remind us that God hears the prayers of his children. His ways are simply different than our ways. At times, he doesn’t answer our prayers according to our expectations because he is protecting us, preparing us, or has something better in mind. Bible Verses About Unanswered Prayers Let’s take a close look…
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10 Scriptures to Pray When You Are Frustrated
We all feel frustrated by our circumstances at times. One of the best ways to respond is to pray God’s Word as we process our frustrations. Today, we’ll explore 10 Scriptures to pray when you are frustrated. I’ll also share a personal story about feeling frustrated with God. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you turn to God in life’s difficult seasons. 10 Scriptures to Pray When You Are Frustrated Let’s see what God’s Word says about frustration as we bring our frustrations to God. 10 Scriptures to Pray When You Are Frustrated 1. Matthew 11:28 ESV Come to…
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10 Bible Verses for Strength and Healing
We watch chickadees flutter above the deck, and the snow melts all over again for the sixth time this winter. Just when we start to believe things are looking warmer, a bitter north wind descends and everything alive turns back to ice again. I open my Bible in search of Bible verses for strength and healing at the end of this long season. If you need this encouraging truth, I invite you to read to the bottom of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you experience God’s healing and hope. 10 Bible Verses for Strength and Healing The storms just keep rolling in, one right after another,…
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How to Overcome Storms of Life: 10 Ways
The winter wind beats hard against the western wall of our house, and I stare out the window at the bands of white as they tear across the yard. These unrelenting gusts remind me that we all face storms in life, and sometimes the best we can do is hunker down and hold fast to the One who promises to hide us in the shelter of his wings. Today, we’ll discuss how to overcome storms of life. I invite you to soak in these truths. Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you cling to God in life’s storms.…
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22 Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times
Do you need hope to carry you through a difficult time? We all face tough times, and when these times God, God’s Word offers hope in the darkness. Today, we’ll explore 22 Bible verses about hope in hard times. Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times We’ll also discuss the ways God uses hard times to shape us into his image. I invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to give you hope in the most difficult times. First, let’s look at these powerful Bible verses about hope in hard times. 22 Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times 1. Matthew 11:28-30…
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6 Promises for When You Feel Abandoned by God
“I feel like I’ve been abandoned by God,” my friend whispers through tears as we sit by the creek and watch flies rise from the water. She’s been in a tough season, and I tell her I can relate. Fifteen years ago, I uttered the same words. Since that time, I’ve uncovered a few valuable lessons about God and life. I share from my heart as the sycamores lean in with listening ears. I don’t know if she feels encouraged as we leave the water, but I pray she finds the faith to keep walking with God. When You Feel Abandoned by God Later that afternoon, my little boy stirs…
