I woke up one day and found my life unrecognizable. So far removed from my original vision, my life story seemed to belong to someone else. Life is unpredictable and the story we hoped would unfold seldom becomes a reality. Our lives can change irrevocably in a moment—one bad decision or careless action alters our course. Or we find our…
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Though a friend of mine lost her husband to cancer thirteen years ago, she still describes grief as a frequent companion. She says over the years she softened to its presence, though it often comes without warning and never by invitation. After a pause, she added her belief in the healing power of grief. Her perspective resonates with me, and…
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Not long ago I spent time with someone enduring a long season of suffering. Sharing many things in common, our visits overflow with easy conversation and genuine connection. A rare friendship where we rest without the need to impress, suppress authenticity, or fear judgment, we open our hearts to wrestle with the hard things in life. We have both found…
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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…
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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….
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Often likened to a wilderness, Lent, as the forty days of spiritual reflection, repentance, and revisitation of Christ’s crucifixion, invites us into the wisdom of the wilderness. While some of us go with willing hearts, others refuse, or slog in with reluctance. Yet this interval of time between the celebration of Christ’s birth, and His death and resurrection require something…
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Everyone expects an encounter with God when they enter church—even unbelievers. We hope to encounter Him in His Word, or when praying. Some of us look for Him in the beauty of creation, and still others anticipate His presence in times of focused solitude. But how many of us expect an encounter with God at work, the grocery store, or…
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In the midst of one of the harshest winter seasons, we have seen in many years where I live, a memory of another harsh winter revisited me. Over 20 years ago, that one extended well into April, with snow on the ground until May. I remember sewing with my youngest daughter while listening to The Secret Garden on cassette tape, in an…
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Experts predict that 2026 will see significant economic, technological, and geopolitical changes, with a cautious, but optimistic outlook amid uncertainties. Every year the “experts” posit what they foresee for the coming year. While many of their predictions seem vague, pundits insist yearly predictions tend to materialize. The thing about such predictions given at the outset of a new year is,…
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