In The Scars That Have Shaped Me, Vaneetha Rendall Risner shares her story of life-long illness (Polio & Post-Polio Syndrome) and trials (death of a child and loss of her marriage) with simple writing and honesty.
A quick read packed with great theology. Vaneetha vulnerably reminds her reader of the unchanging character of God, even in the midst of illness and loss.
Read MoreIn Undone, Michele shares openly all the emotions and faith questions that she experienced through her cancer experience. In Relentless, Michele walks you through the next phase of her life when cancer returns, when the orphans they brought home become theirs for life, and when she grieves the loss of her Dad to his own battle with cancer. It is personal, gut-wrenching, and oh so relatable.
Read MoreWe all need friends like Jonathan and David in our lives—friends who remind us of who God is, who cause us to look upwards and not be overcome by our circumstances, friends who call forth what God has spoken over our lives and strengthen us to keep contending. But as much as we need them, we must also be them.
Read MoreHave you ever re-read a favorite story from your childhood and thought, “Woah, were these messages in there the whole time?”
Something happens when we read children’s stories. Our hearts are open to messages of love and fear, struggles and redemption in ways that we would never grasp in a Sunday sermon.
Yes, they are great for my children, but hold on, they are good for me too!
Through a story written for children, my heart received the tender care it needed from my loving Father. His message of unconditional love got in. It cemented itself in my heart forever. It is part of me now.
That’s the power of children’s stories as soul care.
Read MoreDevotionals are a great way to start a habit of meeting daily in a Quiet Time with God. If you’d like help starting a daily devotion time, please email me or leave a comment below. I’d love to help you. I’m thankful for quality devotionals that lead me to a scripture and give me something to think on during a busy day or busy season.
Here are a few devotionals that I’ve had my hands on recently.
Read MoreMissionary, Amy Carmichael, made a sign with the words, “In everything, give thanks,” and marked each corner with the initials of hardships she was enduring. She gilded the edges and hung that sign in her cabin. Every time she looked upon it, she thanked God for the things represented by those initials, including rats and cockroaches.
Upon reflection, I realized I have never thanked God for my undiagnosed bleeding disorder. I have not thanked him for a horrendous experience in the ICU or for the loss of my lung. I did thank him for teaching me beautiful truths through those experiences but I have never thanked him for the experiences themselves.
So, I made my own sign, “In everything give thanks,” and I jotted down initials of my own personal sufferings in the corners and I placed it on my bedside table. Because I love this lesson so much, I made signs for you too. You can download a card and write your own initials in the corners.
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