Bible and Christian faith
blogs that talk about the Bible and our Christian faith
Idealizing or Idolatry?
By idealizing another person, could we make that person an idol? In last week’s post, “Hiding from Love,” I admitted I did this with my mom. She was afraid to admit she had hurt me, and we both went along with this rouse of her perfection. Because I could never confront her about how she … Read more Idealizing or Idolatry?
Hiding from Love?
Having felt close to God before, I thought my busy life, as a new mom (of two year olds at that time) had come between God and my love for him. I told God I wanted to bathe in his love, and I tried to seek him, still thinking my busyness was at fault for … Read more Hiding from Love?
Scripture Gives Permission
In last week’s post, “When Christian Phrases Seem Meaningless,” I mentioned my inability to apply the phrase “Keep your eyes on Jesus,” because I had not grieved and released my sorrows and traumas. Pain blocked my ability to fully embrace this idea of “keeping my eyes on Jesus.” I did not realize I was allowed … Read more Scripture Gives Permission
When Christian Phrases Seem Meaningless
Long ago, I pretended to understand people who reassuringly said, “Keep your eyes on God (or on Jesus or on The Father).” But when I struggled with problems, I had no idea how I could keep my eyes on Jesus. Yes, I knew he was required to love me (I did not even understand that … Read more When Christian Phrases Seem Meaningless
Glimpses of Heaven While Fighting on Earth
Last week I mentioned seeming contradictions, in the glimpses of heaven we find when we humble ourselves and then feel God’s peace. The discrepancy comes when we experience turmoil rather than peace, yet we are not sinning. We see this in sinless Jesus who fought evil, and grieved over sin. His most intense time of … Read more Glimpses of Heaven While Fighting on Earth
Childlike Bliss in Humility…
Sometimes Humility challenges most of us, because we assume it forces us to give up our rights, peace and honor. I often grit my teeth when I think of showing kindness to those who malign me. I think of verses like 1 Peter 3:8-9, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with … Read more Childlike Bliss in Humility…
Hear Their Pain
Sometimes we perceive people are complaining, and we want to solve their problems or scold them. What if they actually want us to hear their pain and offer them glimpses of comfort? We need to discern whether people are mindlessly grumbling or if they are truly hurting. Even when we cannot solve their problems, if … Read more Hear Their Pain
Prayer is War:
Fight with Diligence If your life is hard, don’t let Satan trick you into thinking you are powerless to make lasting changes. Your prayers can impact your own life (and help to calm your anxious thoughts) and help others, if you fight while using prayer. Please don’t let Satan or your flesh coax you to … Read more Prayer is War:
From Caution to Peace, Dealing with our Feelings
Finally, I offer the second part of my series about Satan’s deception using our feelings… Thanks for waiting while I interrupted the series to write “No Peace for Christmas?” (if you missed it, that was last week’s post.) In the earlier post, I talked about intrusive memories where I thought I needed to understand why … Read more From Caution to Peace, Dealing with our Feelings