Finding Faith in the Mess
We all want this to end. I don’t care what you believe, who you believe, or what your “truth” is right now. We all are waiting for something, anything, to save us from this madness. Who/what will save us. We are reaching, grabbing, chasing anything …
God’s been doing a work on me. I think it is fair to say that He is doing a work on all of us. He’s been stripping me. What once brought me joy and comfort no longer satisfies. We hear a lot about not idolizing …
I was laying on my giant float in the pool desperately longing to feel the lazy days of summer. I’ve noticed the sun-kissed smiling faces of my friends on Instagram and wondered if they were feeling it, too.
I feel a heaviness
Yet, a sense of peace
Sorrow
And Joy
Happiness
And Sadness
Anger
Frustration
And Calm
Hopeless
And Hope-Filled
I feel it all.
Sometimes in the same day; the same moment.
You too?
It’s okay. God’s still got us.
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joyPsalm 30:11
I’ve felt a shift. Have you? We are looking here, there, and everywhere to find our identity. We are grasping at many things to align ourselves with. Gender, sexual preference, political party, likes, dislikes, alumni, nationality, racial profile, what we stand for, what we hate. …
I have found one thing that we can all agree on. Gasp. I’m being serious. What is it? F E A R We are dealing with fear in some capacity.Some of us are afraid.Some of us are not.Some of us are having a difficult time …
Hearts exposed
Narrative
Idols
For the past few months, I’ve woken up, looked outside, and wondered what the day would bring. I start out hopeful; full of sunshine. By the end of the day, I would find myself exhausted. You, too?
I started taking account of my day. What was making me so tired? I knew a lot of my exhaustion had to do with the nature of the season we were in. But, there was something else.
I was living the headlines.
“I don’t watch the news.” I’ve said this. I’ve heard many friends say it. The TV isn’t on in our house at all until after dinner. The boys will sometimes watch something then. Scott and I usually watch one show a night. Right now, we’re watching Seinfeld. So, it baffled me that even though the TV is not on in our house and we steer clear of the news, how was I living the headlines.
Social Media.
An innocent scroll led to a barrage of information. Everyone suddenly became an expert on everything. And very opinionated, to say the least. The headlines found me and I started living them.
The headlines found me and I started living them.
themessymingling.com
"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." John 17:17 'Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' John 14:6
My truth became distorted. I started down a path towards a truth that fit my narrative. It was incredible how quickly it happened. And I didn’t even realize it.
It wasn’t until my husband told me I hadn’t smiled in a few days did I realize something was wrong with me. I stopped living the Truth and started living the truth of the headlines.
Fear. Panic. Unrest. Hopelessness. Distrust. Anxiety. Doubt.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, endurance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
I promised you I would be transparent and honest. Here I am. I know the Truth. I know Jesus. And yet, I was easily swept up in the narrative of our day. I knew better. I know true peace. I know where I stand and where victory resides. However, I was still swayed but the cries of our culture. Maybe you find yourself there, too.
It’s time to stop living the headlines and start living your life. The truth isn’t the narrative the world is spewing at you. How do I know? Because it isn’t full of love, joy, peace, endurance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Awakening When the ball dropped at midnight on January 1, 2020 in the middle of Times Square we were excited. This year was going to be the year of vision. Each of us had our own idea of how our enlightenment would play out. …
Everyone is talking about a new normal. People are saying that they don’t want to go back to our old normal. I get it. There is plenty I want to leave in the past. But, that doesn’t mean we have to wipe everything out. Not …