Alone Does Not Equal Lonely
Are you alone, lonely, or both? Being alone is not a prerequisite for being lonely. Doesn’t seem quite logical, does it? Physical aloneness is absolutely necessary from time to time. And not just for the obvious personal reasons like showering or changing clothes!
Growing Up Without Hope
Having practiced medicine as an EMT and then as a PA for a total of 25 years, I’ve seen a lot of sickness. I also saw multiple physical and emotional illnesses that had roots in sickness of heart. I got so frustrated seeing the lack of hope and its aftermath. Somehow, I never realized that…
How Do We Lose Our Hope?
I think we all know how hope gets lost: time after time of getting hurt with no relief in sight. Eventually your self-image gets distorted until it doesn’t even come close to resembling the one God intended. Every child essentially starts out on the same plane. A baby has only basic needs: comfort (clean diapers),…
Putting Your Hope in God is Safe
Do you ever feel your soul (mind, will, and emotions) is so cast down that all hope is gone? “Why so downcast, oh my soul? Put your hope in God.” This worship chorus is right out of Psalm 42:11. Is it just “positive speaking” to tell your soul to put your hope in God? Honestly,…
Do You Have Hope?
Victim or survivor? When I first started hearing people refer to themselves as abuse survivors, I thought it was just a silly exercise in semantics. That was many years ago. I have since changed my mind. What changed it? Two things. It started to look like our society is way too full of people who…
Am I Alone in My Pain?
It may feel like you’re alone, and probably does. The shame of having a history like ours – yes, I said ours – leads to secrecy and that results in feeling alone. All types of childhood abuse distort our feelings. But you are not alone. Verbal and emotional abuse is the most common type. It’s…
Understanding Authority vs. Power: How Effective Are We?
Being in control vs. being in charge. There’s a big difference. At its essence, God is in charge, we are in control. Of course, we can and do surrender control of some aspects of our lives to either God or the enemy on a regular basis. Even so, it’s our choice and our choice is…
Comfort, Encourage, Strengthen
Maybe you don’t think you can receive the gift of prophecy. Let me reassure you that you are able (I Corinthians 14:1-5). Just seek God’s perspective on a situation and speak out what you hear or see or perceive. You probably will be wrong at times, especially as a beginner. That’s okay. You’re learning how…
Prophetic Swords
First, a challenge: watch for miracles! These gifts are not necessarily big and flashy. I’ve found some of the most important miracle gifts have been those that meant nothing to someone else, but helped me see that God was still watching, that He know exactly where I was, and that He loved me. This type
Fight With Powerful Gifts
Gifts for war? Oh, yeah, I remember the gifts: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, and some others. Oops, wrong category! I just listed the FRUIT of the Spirit, not the GIFTS. (see Fruit-tastic) (Did you catch