Category Archives: Christian Living

Bible Verses that Make a Difference

Photo of the Book of Isaiah page of the Bible (cropped version) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Wednesday I mentioned some of the verses I’m using these days to keep my thoughts and emotions aligned with God.

In various stages of my life, I’ve clung to different verses.

Here are some that have meant a lot to me over the years:

“Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”   ‑ Isaiah 50:10b NIV

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”         ‑ Isaiah 40:31 NIV

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises, and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.”    ‑ Psalm 145:13b,14 NIV

“He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.”    ‑ Isaiah 40:11 NIV

“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out.” – Isaiah 42:3a NIV

What are some verses that have meant the most to you?

Rest. Is it possible?

Rest — physical and spiritual — can be an elusive hope. Here are five helpful links I’ve read lately:

Sheila Seiler Lagrande says “We can’t earn rest any more than we can earn salvation. So let’s show ourselv es some grace, shall we?”

Grace Fox shares the secret to a restful sleep.

Bonnie Leon reminds us of the peace that comes when we remember God is always with us.

Mary deMuth encourages us to Say No. Rest.

Reba J. Hoffman, PhD tells us it’s crucial to develop the habit of stillness.

5 Good Posts on Gratitude

Butterfly on lilac, with text "Thank You, God"

Photo credit: Janet Sketchley

Gratitude is more important than we realize. Here are five posts on the subject that have encouraged me recently.

Michael K. Reynolds tells us about The Easiest Way to Thank God.

At Reflections in Hindsight, Elaine Marie Cooper writes about Dwelling on the Good.

At Under the Cover of Prayer, Judith Lawrence reminds us of the value of prayers of appreciation.

At Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts reminds us to look for God’s gifts in the moment.

And at Hope and Humor, Bob Hostetler gives us the prayer-poem, For the Day’s Graces.

Guest posting at Grace Fox’s blog

Thank you to Grace Fox of Daring. Deep. Devoted. for inviting me to guest post. Here’s a sample:

In crawling out from under hurtful labels, I wanted to step into my identity as one who is shepherded by the Lord Jesus Christ, secure in His love, provision and care. I figured that I didn’t need a label of any sort other than the new name He will give me at the end. And then I heard the words… [read the rest of “Hurtful Names, Hope-filled Names“]

Words of Comfort

I’ve been collecting words of comfort from writers I respect. Here are a few:

At Other Food: Daily Devos, Violet Nesdoly asks “Have you ever thought of your griefs and disappointments as seed?”

At Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts offers insight for “When Words Fail.”

At (in)courage, Lysa TerKeurst reminds us “Don’t Despise the Small.”

At Meet Me in the Meadow, Roy Lessin reminds us that “Peace is Yours.”

And Mary De Muth reassures us that “God Sees When You Feel Small.”

Bonus link added after the original post: Paula Vince’s “To Get Rid of the Reproach of Egypt.”

5 Links to Rest Your Soul

Photo credit: Janet Sketchley

Here are five posts that have spoken peace to me recently. Enjoy!

From Mary DeMuth at Live Uncaged: Free People Rest. Do You?

From Carolyn Watts at Hearing the Heartbeat: When You Wake Empty and The Only Safe Place to Start Your Week.

And from Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky: 5 Ways to Breathe in a Breathless World and The Kind of Faith that Changes Your Life.

Rest: 5 links and a bonus quote (janetsketchley.wordpress.com)
Anxiety (abelovedone.wordpress.com)

“It’s All in Your Head”

“It’s all in your head.” Doctors say this, maybe family too, and whether or not they intend it, you hear a dismissive tone. A put-down. A message that says “it’s your fault, you caused it, and it won’t go away until you decide to stop it.”

In all fairness, what a good doctor probably means is, “It’s outside my expertise to help you with something that’s generated in your mind.” The tone is probably genuine regret that s/he can’t help.

Let’s not get into the debate over whether it truly is generated in your mind. Doctors have been known to write off tangible physical responses to environmental and food sensitivities because the tests don’t show any proof. And other things actually are products of the mind.

The fact is, we’re still stuck with the problem until we get help. If a medical doctor can’t help, perhaps a naturopath or counsellor can—or a prayer warrior.

Today I’m thinking of the kind of thing that actually is all in the head: the lies or worldviews that we internalize and believe that limit and damage us. The garbage that needs taking out.

Cover of "Battlefield of the Mind: Winnin...

Cover via Amazon

For me some of that is self-pity, self-focus and just plain self. I found Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind a very effective removal tool, and I need to read it again.

It’s important to recognize the mental crud, agree with Jesus that it doesn’t belong there, and then cooperate with Him to replace it with wholesome, holy, healthy thoughts.

If it’s all in my head… that means it’s not a tangible disease or limitation. Real, but it doesn’t need a scalpel, drugs or a prosthesis to fix. It just needs realigning my mind to God and cooperating with Him.

I find that liberating and encouraging.

God bless Peter Furler for his song, “All in Your Head,” where I first heard the encouraging tone and the assurance that “it’s all in your head” means “nothing’s really holding you back” and I could push through the blockage.

Rest: 5 links and a bonus quote

Here are some posts that have spoken rest to my spirit:

Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia (photo credit: Janet Sketchley)

Margaret L. Been’s beautiful poem, “At His Feet.”

Emily Freeman’s “The Art of Rest” at (in)courage.

Rose Harmer writes about “Rest” at Under the Cover of Prayer.

At Roller Coaster Suspense, Marcy Dyer looks at exhaustion and priorities: “Noodled.”

And at Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts reminds us that it’s not about working harder and pushing through the pain. It’s about resting in God. Read “Gifts from Your Personal Trainer.”

Bonus: In Refresh: 19 Ways to Boost Your Spiritual Life, Ron Hughes explores the value of rest. He says:

“Sabbath rest … reminds us that we did not make the world, that we are not in charge, and that everything will not grind to a halt if we reduce our activity level. Sabbath is not a reward for us getting all of our work done … we can relax in our awareness that we trust God, not ourselves, to meet our needs.” [Refresh, pp. 151-152]

Trust

My friend Jan Cox has dubbed this the Year of Trust. I’m focusing on relentless gratitude, and there’s a definite cross-over. Gratitude to God reinforces trust in God.

Here are some links I’ve found helpful:

Carolyn Watts’ posts at Hearing the Heartbeat often bless me. Here she offers a simple reminder of what trust can look like.

At Something About the Joy, Ginny Jaques shares Four Things About God that Make Life So Much Easier.

At Dreaming Big, Heather Boersma encourages us to let our words affirm our dependence on God and speak life, not death. That sounds like trust to me.

At Promises for All Who Are In Christ, Natalie Gidney lists several promises from God that define who we are in Christ. Good to memorize for when the doubts fly.

And Janice Dick reminds us of God’s protective hold on us.

Thoughts on Good Friday

Good Friday is always a difficult day for me, facing the sacrifice that Jesus made for us–for me–and wishing there’d been another way. Recently at Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts looked at it a little differently and discovered:

As much as I want to be able to bear my own blame, it would destroy me. If I want to be His, I must let Him kneel at the scourging post, hands tied above His head, let Him take every last stroke of that fiercely studded whip that should have been mine, and continue, body already broken, down the road to the cross, that final doorway into the heart of enemy territory. If I want to be His, I must receive the gift of Himself.

Read Carolyn’s entire post at The Words You Never Dreamed He’d Say, and let it bless you today.

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