Read
-
Dec 15, 2021Learning How Much I am Loved
As I sat down to pray and think through how I wanted to share my reflections on love, I could not help but hear a familiar sound in our house: the sound of a sleepy pup snoring. It’s one of the most soothing sounds I have come to know. If you know me, you know […]
-
Dec 15, 2021Know the Surpassing Love of Christ
Love is something I believe we are always growing in. Our understanding of it, our capacity for it, how we experience it with others, and even how to receive it well is something we inherently long for. Yet the love we see, defined by our broken world, often falls short and often disappoints, leaving us […]
-
Dec 08, 2021Find True Peace
Dear Reader, The Christmas season is often marked by an uptick of stress, exhaustion, and a burst of busyness. So much to do, with so little time. Or perhaps it is even a time of relational conflict with friends or family. Maybe some are even experiencing loss or mourning. Whatever you are going through, now, […]
-
Dec 08, 2021Experience Real Peace
The Advent season provides an opportunity to take time to reflect on the fact that God brings peace to His people. This peace is one for which we as believers can revel in, specifically the truth that we are saved through the redemptive power of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This peace that we are […]
-
Dec 08, 2021Jesus is the Prince of Peace
What does that mean? When we think of peace, we often think of the absence of conflict. However, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt.10:34 NKJV). So what did He mean when he said, ”Peace I leave with […]
-
Dec 31, 2020Remember the Returning King
Dear downhearted, What is making you want to flee or fight today? Maybe regime change, debilitating illness, home eviction, or dying family is no longer a looming threat but your reality as we close 2020. Mephibosheth feared and endured similar troubles. For him, regime change included the death of his grandfather, King Saul, and father, […]
-
Dec 30, 2020Exalt the One Whose Work is Done
Dear downhearted, As we approach the turn of a calendar, perhaps you feel the weight of a long year. Maybe these lengthy winter nights epitomize the emotional darkness of your days. “Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near”, you may read hopelessly for the pall of exhaustion that envelopes the way to him. Yet these very […]
-
Dec 29, 2020Reorient What You Call Gain
Dear downhearted, In writing to you about discontentment, I am writing about a familiar foe of my own, and it usually shows itself in the form of envy or covetousness. I see good things someone else has, especially if they have more of it than I, and my heart sinks. However discontentment shows itself in […]
-
Dec 28, 2020God is With You
Dear downhearted, I know that this time of year can be one of the loneliest seasons. That’s true any year, but especially in this year of lockdowns, social distancing, and isolation. I think we are all feeling a bit lonely. If you already struggle with feelings of loneliness, then this year is even tougher. Did […]
-
Dec 27, 2020The Love of God Does Not Cease
My downhearted, Grief is an inevitable side effect of the brokenness of our world, but it is unique to each of us. For me, the grief I carry is the loss of a pregnancy. Suffering through a miscarriage is the single most grief-imbued experience of my life. The grief of my loss brought me to […]