How many times have we resolved that this year was going to be different? And then we proceeded to make a list of all the things we were going to do differently, starting January 1, to ensure that things would change this year? And how many of us have made it to March with these resolves….if we’re lucky? I want us to think for a few minutes about how 2019 can be different. Because I believe that it can. I believe we can start the year with purpose and make some lasting changes in our lives. But that won’t come with a list of resolutions, things we are bound…
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Little Drummer Boy: How Our Imperfect Efforts Please God
It’s now the season that Christmas music has shifted onto the scene. And I may try to fight the onslaught of Christmas carols, at least for a little bit. But this morning on my way to work, I played my two favorite versions of the traditional carol “Little Drummer Boy”. The versions are linked below, as well as my reasoning behind why these particular versions are my favorite, but that’s not the point of my writing today. I started listening to the lyrics. The song literally is 11 simple sentences and 81 words- that is, outside of the multiple “pa rum pa pump um”s. As I was listening to…
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Prayer of Surrender
Heavenly Father, It appears as if I’ve been doing this whole following You thing wrong for a while now. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you saved my soul more than twenty years ago, and I am eternally grateful. At the age of six, you didn’t save me from a life of blatant sin…apart from talking back to my mom. But I know you saved me. But what amazes me even more is what you have done in my life since, and that You still want to do more. And I stand before you now, to apologize for all the times I’ve shut down and delayed the…
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Cloudy: When My Self-Worth Is Hard To Find
This past week was rough for some reason. I found myself reacting to things purely out of emotion, being overly critical, and worrying way too much. I’m pretty sure that when my sweet husband mentioned he was missing a vitamin from his nightly routine, I took it personally, threw the TV remotes in frustration, went and got the pill, and then started to cry. His follow up question was definitely warranted. “Are we really crying over vitamins?” Even though I realized the ridiculousness of the whole situation, I had to answer yes, but admit I had no idea why. Part of what I’ve learned through working with Celebrate Recovery is…
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Vantage Point: Seeing Life Through My Big God
In the past year or so, I have been learning the importance of having an accurate vantage point, especially when it comes to how I see myself. Too often, how I feel about myself directs what I believe to be true about myself. And we all know that that’s not always the most positive vantage point! I need to be constantly reminded that I am who God says I am- a chosen, beloved daughter of His. One of my new favorite worship songs says it well: “I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You say…
