The dreaded F word, FEAR. It rears its ugly head often in my life even though God says, “Do not fear.” Plagued by fear of not being good enough, I have struggled with this issue due to abuse in my early childhood and young adulthood, leaving me to feel like not even God could use me. In reality, this fear manipulated me into believing Satan’s words instead of God’s. I struggled to believe God really loved me. Yes, He sent … Continue reading →
Does anyone else’s stomach turn just a bit when they hear the word, “Conflict”? I grew up in turmoil. Conflict always escalated and rarely found resolution. Loud hurtful words were often followed by a joke then that conflict got swept under the rug. Conflict wasn’t resolved. It was ignored and, hopefully, forgotten. Water under the bridge. Old news. Move on. That’s the model I had, so repeated it for the first four and a half decades of my life. I … Continue reading →
She sat there, paralyzed with fear. And she didn’t know where the fear came from, but she was aware she was more terrified than she’d ever been before. “You’re trapped,” the voice mocked, whispering in her ear. “God help me. Please deliver me from this nightmare I’m living.” Hopelessness surrounded her as she cried out to God. “Are you even real? I thought you were real, but where are you now, Jesus? Do you care about me? She and her … Continue reading →
A few years ago, my family and I went on vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We spent a week exploring the different shops and having new adventures. My wife and I believe vacations are times to relax, unplug, and have new experiences together. That formula works well … usually. In Gatlinburg, we first went zip-lining as a family, now a family-favorite activity. We also experienced white-water rafting for the first time. There were two options for our rafting trip: Raging Rapids … Continue reading →
As I listened to her anxious chatter, the image of my frantic friend blurred into an image of me as if I stared into a watery mirror. With furrowed brows, she rapid-fired concerns without the commas of deep breaths. She lamented the past and feared future failure as her meal sat untouched. I felt the frustration and pain of familiar words. My sweet friend served as judge, jury, and prosecuting attorney for her own case. Believing the lies of her … Continue reading →
