Not long ago as I was scrolling through Pinterest notifications, I noticed a comment critical of the 35,000 Christian sects and denominations. I don’t know if the commenter had the facts right or not but I do know there are plenty of things about which self-proclaimed Christians disagree. You and I can see evidence of…
You’ve probably seen the quote before. “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ~Ian MacLaren Everyone carries the burden of emotional baggage. Baggage that can so easily turn into fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, or overwhelming sadness. Everyone gets out of bed each morning with a need for enough strength and courage to…
It’s so easy to get caught up in the dailiness of life. I get busy just doing and living and somehow forget to fill moments with thankfulness and praise. Oh, I can be convincing when I talk about it in this space but the doing it, the consistently offering an attitude of thankfulness and praise…
When our daughter was a toddler she found the difference between today and tomorrow very confusing. We’ would say, “We are going to to do (something fun) tomorrow.” And she would always respond with delight and great enthusiasm. But the next morning when she got up she would ask, “Is it tomorrow?” Of course, we…
Stop with me for a moment and think about the following two quotes: You’re a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God—you were not made to be self-sufficient. ~Dallas Willard “[Jesus] is a portion that exactly and directly suits the condition of the soul. The desires of the soul, and the…
What do you think of when you hear the words “praise and worship”? Is it something you do on the weekend or the music you sing along to at home or in the car. What if it’s more basic than that? What if praise is simply the expression of worship and worship is… Well, let’s…
I don’t know about you, but I’m over this! I’m tired of social distancing and wearing masks. I miss seeing faces and sharing smiles with random strangers. I’m saddened by civil unrest and riots. The truth is, I can be patient for a long time . . . but I’m ready to be done! I’m…
Too many lives are being destroyed by the overwhelming power of addiction. Too many families are suffering because of the pain caused by addiction. Addiction is defined as a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance. Researchers speak of two different types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping eating, and…
Have you ever found yourself deep in a pit of despair? Yeah, me too. Maybe you’re there now. And the truth is, it stinks. One of the worst parts is that when you and I find ourselves in that dank dark place with our feet stuck in the muck, it’s really hard to see our…
Occasionally, I have a day when I wake up and I feel strong enough to handle whatever the day throws at me. But then there are the other days when I open my eyes and I’m not sure I have what it takes just to get out of bed. I’m guessing I’m not alone… Sometimes…
The #1 post here at Counting My Blessings by far is – 5 Verses to Pray When You Need God to Do the Impossible. The truth is people are facing seemingly impossible circumstances every day. Here are just some of the comments I’ve received on that post from the past year… ♥ My dear cousin…
Do you ever feel like the world is drowning in frustration and anger? Just turn on the news or spend a little time on social media and you’d start to believe that frustrated and angry appears to be the mood of the day. Add to that moms and dads being confined at home with their…
It seems like everywhere I look, friends and family . . . even complete strangers are overwhelmed by grief. Covid and chaos have caused us to lose loved ones, jobs, and financial security. Isolation and emotional stress has broken relationships, worsened depression, and increased substance abuse. The list of reasons people are grieving is growing…
On the list of things most of us wish Jesus hadn’t said … this would be at the top! But it’s right there in Matthew… “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Matthew 5:43–44 Love your enemies! Really?!…
I want to stop and celebrate the blessing of friends today. Not our list of Facebook friends with whom we share the edited versions of our stories but the close group of people who know our real stories … those stories we keep hidden away from most of the world. I want to celebrate the…
Terrorism, politics, illness, heartbreak, loss, and pandemics… Sometimes this broken world feels like it’s too much … too painful. Too hard. Then I stop and remember Solomon’s words: History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 Nothing’s new. It’s all happened before. No, I’m…
I wish I’d read this quote years ago… “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” Anne Frank She certainly shared a lot of wisdom for her young age … and for someone who never lived long…
Do you trust God’s goodness? We say God is good, but do we really believe it? I recently shared this on social media… After you have suffered a little while, [God] will restore, support, and strengthen you. 1 Peter 5:10 And an individual responded by saying … “a load of nonsense.” I don’t think you…
Do you ever feel frustrated with yourself when you read… Jesus said, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:29–30 I don’t know about you, but…
I tend to think of praise and worship as synonyms … which can too often mean that I hear the sounds of music when I imagine doing either one. But… Praise is simply defined as: an expression of warm approval or admiration. Worship is defined as: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for…
Even if you are not personally suffering at the moment … you can’t turn on the news or scroll through social media without seeing it all around you. So many of us are feeling the heaviness of suffering … either our own or the empathetic burden we carry for one another. But God… Oh, how…
