“Pain became the pathway by which He drew near. And as I saw Him, my faith enlarged, knowing that this same Presence and Comfort would be available each day anew. The power of His personal appearance transforms us from within, resulting in a greater change than merely removing unpleasant circumstances. Faith grows as I see Him. Sometimes only tears can wash my eyes …
“No words can aptly describe your heart being torn apart. The pain, the sobbing, the gasping for air. Grieving the loss of something never to be regained. Lost dreams. Lost confidence. And a lost me —drowning in the deluge of betrayal, anguish, and woundedness without a seeming breath of hope.” (personal journal entry 2021) Perpetual sadness and the lure of bitterness hold their …
“Your churches have much,” the convocation speaker summarized. Since he hailed from the People’s Republic of China, I assumed his visit to the Taiwan Baptist Seminary proved impressive. After all, Christians here in democratic Taiwan knew unlimited freedom. He’d mentioned our liberty to worship, pray, and evangelize, all of which stimulated a sense of pride among professors and students alike. …
First Class. If you have ever flown, you have had opportunity to envy those passengers. While you stood in line awaiting your group to be called, they boarded first, chose their pre-flight drink and settled into their roomy seats. While you shuffled past with your mounds of carry-on’s, their items had either been complimentarily checked or stowed in …
I stopped singing and looked around me. Almost every voice were mouthing the words, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours.” How many of us meant it? Did I? The pastor spoke about a desire to know Christ (Philippians 3:10). “Preceding the power comes the sufferings.” How many of us want to know Him enough to endure? As I exited that …
When I, a young Christian, stood still before Him, I stood in a tremble, awaiting His call. I wanted His favor. I sought it with earnest. My youth and my passion —I gave Him my all. “A wonderful plan” said the book set before me. A wonderful plan, oh my soul, could it be? “You’ve freedom from fear. …
My husband, Mark, has agreed to finish up my short series regarding our daughter’s accident. Pull up a chair as he walks you through this crisis from a male perspective. You’ll be glad you did. ———————- “After the initial shock of the accident subsided, a new wave of terror came slamming into my world. What steps do I take now …
Haven’t you enjoyed Karen’s posts? She returns with us again today with her frank discussion on something we all dread – suffering. Thanks, Karen. Missed either of Karen’s first two posts? For His Glory Laying Down My Life, Uh…Afternoon —————————— The things we say, the things we sing, the things we shout, but do we mean? ENTER THE WORSHIP …
“Repeat after me. ‘Ruh-now.’ After a month and a half of Mandarin classes, I was accustomed to the drill. When Lu LaoShr introduced new vocabulary words, we were to repeat them before learning what we’d said. “Ruh-now,” I recited, thankful this one didn’t include that tongue twisting “jrz” sound. Using only Chinese words I already knew, Lu LaoShr began …
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6) In Hannah Hurnard’s allegory Hinds’ Feet on High Places, her character Much Afraid takes a spiritual journey very similar to the path we follow. Sometimes, her Shepherd is very close-by and at other times He seems no-where to be found. One constant …
