Serenity in Suffering

Finding Peace and Purpose in the Storms of Life

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My Vision

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Come Rest Awhile!

How thrilled I am that you stopped by! Please stay a bit and get acquainted. Sometimes you just need a little space to breathe. I’ve created a peaceful place of rest among friends where you can feel safe, seen and heard. Please take a moment to look around and find some encouragement or advice!

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Do you long for a faith that exhibits more than obedience, a faith fully alive and present, flowing from a heart ablaze with love for Christ?  I invite you into a contemplative journey in my new book, through the Passion of Christ that moves you beyond observation into transformation.

My new book, A Passion for Christ offers a companion for the soul, a guide for those who desire a faith transformed by intimacy with Jesus. Through reflective readings, Scripture, prayerful practices, and meditations on the names of Christ, it invites you to move slowly through the Passion of Christ so that a deeper, enduring passion for Christ might take root.

A Passion for Christ book cover

 

Purchase A Passion for Christ: A Transformative Faith Journey through the Passion of Christ to a Passion for Christ on Amazon at think LINK.

 

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Do you long to slow down, notice God’s goodness, and rediscover gratitude in your everyday life?

Check out my 21-day devotional on Amazon. This devotional invites you to step into a gentle, sacred rhythm of noticing God’s nearness—even in the imperfect, the ordinary, and the unexpected places where grace quietly blooms.
Through heartfelt readings, reflection prompts, poetry, and Scripture meditation, this book will guide you into a deeper awareness of the God who meets you with kindness, sustains you with mercy, and awakens gratitude in the middle of your real, imperfect days.
These short, beautifully written devotions are designed to fit into your busy life while still offering depth, nourishment, and space to breathe.

 

Purchase either the Kindle edition or the Paperback edition of The Grace of Gratitude: A 21 Day Journey to a Heart Transformed by Grace on Amazon at this LINK

 

For more Serenity in Suffering, head over to my Substack publication, where I share more detailed articles, personal and insider updates, and exclusive access to my poetry and more. Become a subscriber TODAY!

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You can also find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram!

Latest from the Blog

  • sun rise over dark serene lake, where is God in the silence?
    Where is God in the Silence?
  • field of lilies of the valley, are you wearing the fragrance of christ?
    Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?
  • Snowdrops, the wisdom of the wilderness
    The Wisdom of the Wilderness
  • Woman's gloved hands holding a heart shaped from snow, stunned by God: an incredulous encounter
    Stunned by God: An Incredulous Encounter
  • woman holding up a lantern in the dark, the tension between suffering and hope
    The Tension Between Suffering and Hope
  • crystal ball on taupe background, no fail predictions for the coming year
    No Fail Predictions for the Coming Year
  • Asian women in purple sweater sitting looking out window, Unhustle: Reclaiming the sacred art of doing less
    Unhustled: Reclaiming the Sacred Art of Doing Less
  • Light shining on a manger, The Light Has Come
    The True Light Has Come
  • winter dawn, pink sky through snow covered trees, when light waits: embracing the slow rhythms of God's promises
    When Light Waits: Embracing the Slow Rhythms of God’s Promises

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    Hi, I’m Donna!

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    Welcome to Serenity in Suffering; a safe place to find Hope and purpose in the hard places of life, through intimacy with Jesus Christ.

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    • Where is God in the Silence?
    • Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?
    • The Wisdom of the Wilderness
    • Stunned by God: An Incredulous Encounter
    • The Tension Between Suffering and Hope

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    Have you ever felt disillusionment with God, holdi Have you ever felt disillusionment with God, holding the story of a life you no longer recognize?

Have you sought for answers only to wonder, “where is God in the silence?”

We all came to Jesus with broken pieces of ourselves we hoped He would heal.

Whether physical healing, illness, addictions, financial woes, relational brokenness, or sundry other wounds, our grief, loss, and hopelessness drove us to Him for wholeness—for new life.

But somewhere along the journey we find this new life strewn with disappointment; our expectations at odds with the God we believed would transform our pain.

Sitting with the shards of broken dreams and fragile hopes of a story I would rather burn than live, I wonder, where is the God who makes everything new?

Less than a week from remembering the crucifixion, I still ponder the turn of events from a welcoming, rejoicing crowd proclaiming Hosanna, to one just days later crying, “Crucify Him!”

Reading the story again, I lingered with a reality which resonated with my own hard story.

Join me on the blog where I explore the tension of disillusionment and trust and how we make sense of the suffering we don't understand in my new post, "Where is God in the Silence?" Link in bio!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #silence #whereisgod #hope #faith #godslove #grief
    Have you ever felt disillusionment with God, holdi Have you ever felt disillusionment with God, holding the story of a life you no longer recognize? 

Have you sought for answers only to wonder, “where is God in the silence?” 

We all came to Jesus with broken pieces of ourselves we hoped He would heal. 

Whether physical healing, illness, addictions, financial woes, relational brokenness, or sundry other wounds, our grief, loss, and hopelessness drove us to Him for wholeness—for new life.

But somewhere along the journey we find this new life strewn with disappointment; our expectations at odds with the God we believed would transform our pain.

Sitting with the shards of broken dreams and fragile hopes of a story I would rather burn than live, I wonder, where is the God who makes everything new?

Less than a week from remembering the crucifixion, I still ponder the turn of events from a welcoming, rejoicing crowd proclaiming Hosanna, to one just days later crying, “Crucify Him!”

Reading the story again, I lingered with a reality which resonated with my own hard story.

Join me on the blog where I explore the tension of disillusionment and trust and how we make sense of the suffering we don't understand in my new post, "Where is God in the Silence?" Link in bio!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #silence #whereisgod #hope #faith #godslove #grief
    In life's hard places, how do we find the strength In life's hard places, how do we find the strength to obey the single most repeated command in the bible, the command to rejoice?

It's one thing to return a kind smile even on our hard days, but quite another thing to allow joy to define us in those same hard places.

Coming off of deep reflection on the crucifixion of Christ and His subsequent resurrection, I could not shake the tension between His deep sorrow, and the joy He held within as He despised the shame of the cross but endured it anyway.

As I wrestled with this tension in my own life, of learning to endure the hard places, while resting in the joy promised me in my grief by Christ, the eyes of my heart opened on a new truth.

When the general promises of God become personal guarantees through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can allow joy to define us even there.

"I am the one God will never leave or forsake." Hebrews 13:5

"I am the one with peace that passes all understanding." Philippians 4:7

"I am the clay jar filled with resurrection power." 2 Corinthians 4:7

"I am the child He loves to give good gifts to." Matthew 7:11

"I am clean, forgiven, justified, inseparable from His love." Romans 8

These truths fill our hurting and burdened hearts not only with joy, but with hope. 

If your heart is weary with grief and suffering today, claim God's promises personally as your own, receiving joy and hope that no circumstance can quench.

Which promise speaks deeply to you today?

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #trials #grief #hope #joy #faith
    When was the last time you walked through the time When was the last time you walked through the timeline of events the last week of Christ’s earthly ministry as a participant?⁣
⁣
Triumphantly entering Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish Passover, on what we term “Palm Sunday”, the people hail Jesus as “king”. ⁣
⁣
Yet no one, not even Jesus’ disciples, despite Jesus plainly telling them, understood He entered as the sacrificial Passover Lamb.⁣
⁣
Set aside some time to immerse yourself in the story through reading the account in your Bible, and checking out the resources in my Substack post, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"⁣
Deeply connect with Christ in His last hours on earth and find Hope in your own hard places this Holy Week. Link in bio!
    When was the last time you walked through the time When was the last time you walked through the timeline of events the last week of Christ’s earthly ministry as a participant?⁣
⁣
Triumphantly entering Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish Passover, on what we term “Palm Sunday”, the people hail Jesus as “king”. ⁣
⁣
Yet no one, not even Jesus’ disciples, despite Jesus plainly telling them, understood He entered as the sacrificial Passover Lamb.⁣
⁣
Set aside some time to immerse yourself in the story through reading the account in your Bible, and checking out the resources in my Substack post, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"⁣
Deeply connect with Christ in His last hours on earth and find Hope in your own hard places this Holy Week. Link in bio!
    If you are in a hard season right now, and wanted If you are in a hard season right now, and wanted to be completely honest, and I asked you, "How are you?" What would you say?

If you are like me, you might say, "I'm well", or "I'm so blessed!"

So, which one would be true? Both.

Right now, I'm in a hard season, navigating emptiness, uncertainty, and unfulfilled desires, yet seeing God in new ways.

Why do we pretend all is well, when inside, our heart is breaking, and we can barely face the day?

Because as Christians, to answer with brutal honesty that all is not well, and our season is harder than we can handle right now would seem to discount all of God's goodness.

But Dear One, the real truth is we always live with both blessings and brokenness.

Trials, victories, sorrow and joy are all mixed up together.

Admitting our struggles doesn't mean we are ungrateful for the blessings God gives. We can thank Him for our wayward child, while at the same time asking Him for strength to endure their silence.

We can thank God for our spouse, friend, or neighbor, while asking Him for grace to endure their unkind treatment or neglect.

God never asks us to be thankful FOR the suffering or loss, He invites us to be thankful IN it, because He is with us, the God of all comfort.

We may wonder at the many blessings that God gives, while at the same time holding aching emptiness for desires remaining unfulfilled.

God understands both.

When we embrace the paradox, we tell God we trust in His unfailing love. We choose to recognize His love in both the hard and happy parts of our lives.

Jesus understands the tension between joy and sorrow, and He wants you to bring it all to Him with brutal honesty. 

What one thing can you bring to Him today?

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #sorrow #hardship #joy #hope #faith #godslove
    Do you have a signature scent? ⁣ ⁣ A perfume (or c Do you have a signature scent? ⁣
⁣
A perfume (or cologne) you never leave home without? ⁣
⁣
As a chemically sensitive person, I am inundated with the toxicity of fake scents all the time.⁣
⁣
I often wonder at the motive behind wearing a scent so ostentatious that it announces your arrival long before your body appears and lingers abusively after you leave. ⁣
⁣
Perhaps the haughty advertising claims of a better image, attraction, and connection contribute to this. ⁣
⁣
But what if the fragrance we chose to wear communicated a meaningful truth? ⁣
⁣
Join me on the blog as I explore how wearing the fragrance of Christ changes your life and the world around you, in my new post, "Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?" Link in bio!
    Do you have a signature scent? ⁣ ⁣ A perfume (or c Do you have a signature scent? ⁣
⁣
A perfume (or cologne) you never leave home without? ⁣
⁣
As a chemically sensitive person, I am inundated with the toxicity of fake scents all the time.⁣
⁣
I often wonder at the motive behind wearing a scent so ostentatious that it announces your arrival long before your body appears and lingers abusively after you leave. ⁣
⁣
Perhaps the haughty advertising claims of a better image, attraction, and connection contribute to this. ⁣
⁣
But what if the fragrance we chose to wear communicated a meaningful truth? ⁣
⁣
Join me on the blog as I explore how wearing the fragrance of Christ changes your life and the world around you, in my new post, "Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?" Link in bio!
    A simple prayer from my heart to yours today: “Je A simple prayer from my heart to yours today:

“Jesus, teach me to walk with You in both suffering and hope. Help me to see Your love in the places that feel heavy, and Your light in the places that feel dim. Shape my heart through Your Passion and draw me closer to You with every step.”

May this prayer meet you in your deepest struggle today.

Save for later and share with a friend!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #lent #trials #hope #prayers #faith
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