Tag Archives: Freedom

This is part two of how to reconcile well. In part one, I shared how the enemy uses our desire for reconciliation or our avoidance of it against us. Reconciliation is a gift we’ve been given to exercise. Because without it we’d either be handling conflict in our own strength or not handling it at all. Since all gifts are …

God said to my heart, “You have the gift of reconciliation.” When that was spoken, I didn’t understand it. I knew that Jesus died to reconcile us to God, but what did that have to do with me? I’ve always been the kind of person who is distracted to the point of immobility when there is an unreconciled conflict. I …

“If you love something, let it go. If it returns, it’s yours; if it doesn’t, it never was.” I memorized that quote from a poster that hung on my bedroom wall throughout high school. It displayed a hand from which a dove was being released to fly away. It reminded me of the temporary nature of most teenage romantic relationships. …

We face roadblocks in our single journeys that can keep us from getting what God has for us in life. One of those roadblocks can very well be tied to what goes on in our minds. Sure, we can blame other people, or we can blame our circumstances, but what about our mindsets? For as he thinks in his heart, …

I’ve lived a life built on “What If’s.” And living a “What If” life was slowly killing me. What if I never make more than I do right now? What if I do… What if I never fulfill my life purpose? What if I exceed my every expectation… What if I never find community? What if I develop rich community… Anxiety, …

    The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. –Psalm 34:18 (NIV) When you feel insignificant, abandoned or rejected, remember God sees where you are. And He throws no one away. I was recently betrayed and abruptly discarded by some friends over a silly misunderstanding. But God interrupted my rejection pity party by reminding …

I still remember the day these words were spoken to me at a prophetic training event at church. “I just felt like the Lord says sometimes you feel downcast about yourself. I saw you with a crown on your head.  And He just wanted you to know … He wants you to see you how He sees you. He says …

My family and I recently relocated to the sunny state of Florida. The sun is always shining, and the drivers are always angry. The rules of the road here are mere “suggestions” to your average Floridian, and it’s taking this slow-backroads-driving girl some getting used to. One Sunday morning, I was driving to church on a winding, residential road. The …

When I was in second grade, I was stricken with a sickness that required one week in the hospital followed by another week spent at home recovering. I don’t remember much about that time. I played board games with the nurses. Yahtzee, I think. There was a nasty red liquid they made me drink. When I whined, my dad made …

    So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. –Mark 15:1b Jesus — the Creator of everything — being bound. When I read the story of Jesus’ arrest before His crucifixion, the words “they bound Jesus” jump off the page. Think about this: According to the first few verses in John chapter 1, nothing exists …