Serenity in Suffering

Finding Peace and Purpose in the Storms of Life

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Encouragement

close up of purple lilacs in brown wicker basket, when mother's day hurts

Hope When Mother’s Day Hurts

purple lilacs in brown basket on white wooden table, five reasons to choose faith over fear

Five Reasons to Choose Faith Over Fear

close up of 2 purple crocuses, spring speaks of god's faithfulness

Spring Speaks of God’s Faithfulness

stone rolled aside the tomb opening, hope in the resurrection

Hope Found in the Resurrection

dark purple Lenten rose plant in brown leaves, delight in finding the serenity of spring

Delight in Finding the Serenity of Spring

close up of violin on sheet music Jesus joy of man's desiring

Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring

wooden cross on ground, crown of thorns, hammer & nails, betrayed by an intimate friend

Betrayed By An Intimate Friend

two women silhouettes facing sunset with hands ups, making a heart, Jesus a friend who loves at all times

Jesus, the Friend Who Loves at All Times

purple aster on black background, secrets to finding joy in the midst of trials

Secrets to Finding Joy in the Midst of Trials

gray heart shaped stone with the word "love" in tray with blurred shells, beloved treasure of the heart of god

Beloved Treasure of the Heart of God

Woman standing with arms raised to a pink, purple, yellow sky, with heart outline, an infinite love reaching to the heavens

An Infinite Love Reaching to the Heavens

woman in jeans and aqua tank top sitting with head in hands against chain link fence, a victim mentality hinders spiritual growth

A Victim Mentality Hinders Spiritual Growth

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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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Recent Posts

  • A Life You No Longer Recognize
  • The Healing Power of Grief
  • Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions
  • Where is God in the Silence?
  • Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?

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serenityinsuffering

Have you encountered God's laughter?⁣ ⁣ I can’t he Have you encountered God's laughter?⁣
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I can’t help thinking Jesus enjoyed a good laugh. Growing up with his own siblings and cousin John close to his age, had to include boyish fun and foolishness. We know Christ in his humanity was sinless but was he also humorless?⁣
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Even when he began his public ministry and surrounded himself with twelve men who ate, slept, and travelled with him as he taught them about the Kingdom of God, was he all business?⁣
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When was the last time you observed or were with a group of men where there was no good-natured ribbing or outright chicanery?⁣
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Join me over on the blog for my post, "The God Who Births Laughter", to find out a side of God you may be in desperate need of right now. Link in bio!
Have you ever come to God in prayer, but were so o Have you ever come to God in prayer, but were so overcome by the burden on your heart all you could do was sit quietly sobbing?

This happened to me so often recently I became discouraged.

How would God be able to answer a prayer I was unable to pray? Day after day I came, and day after day I broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

Yes, God knows our hearts, and He even knows our needs before we ask, but I felt the need to be heard by God. I was desperate to articulate and intercede for a critical need.

I needed words.

Then a friend reminded me, "tears are prayers too."

In fact, when deep in anguish, tears speak more eloquently than words ever could.

Not only that, but Romans 8:26-27 tells us the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in groanings which have no utterance.

Then one morning, as I sat with my wordless tears, God spoke the words of Psalm 56:8 to my heart (paraphrased)

"I keep track of all your sorrows, I have collected all your tears in my bottle, see, I have written them in my book."

Our tears are precious to God; He wastes none of them. 

When you feel so overcome that you have only wordless tears, take heart, God has heard your deepest request, and will remember you.

Share this with a friend who needs this encouragement today.

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #discouragement #prayer #tears #hope #faith
There is a battle I have fought for many months no There is a battle I have fought for many months now. ⁣
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An occasional reprieve deceived me into thinking it was over, only to feel the heavy weight in my chest return. ⁣
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Perhaps you have felt this too. Discouragement, the name of my foe, seems benign enough: just a bit put by, or melancholy. ⁣
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Everyone suffers discouragement from time to time; it’s just a bump in the road on an otherwise routine journey. ⁣
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Be not deceived, this foe is far more insidious.⁣
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When I faced another recent battle with discouragement, God invited me to walk with Him behind enemy lines, what I learned changed my understanding of discouragement forever.⁣
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Check out my new Substack post, "A Walk Behind Enemy Lines" to read my journey. If you struggle with discouragement you can't afford to miss this. Link in bio!
Do you know the God of all comfort?⁣ ⁣ Often when Do you know the God of all comfort?⁣
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Often when we suffer, we want relief from our pain but fail to see a way forward to a place of solace. ⁣
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Our suffering and sorrow are unique. Not only do we encounter various seasons of suffering, but as distinct individuals we face life's hard paths from a variety of perspectives, which contributes to the illusive nature of relief within our suffering.⁣
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Even if you think you know the details of your suffering, and the exact approach for finding solace in that hard place, finding the comfort you need now comes from only one place.⁣
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Join me on the blog for my post, "Find the Comfort You Need Now", where I share not only how to find comfort in suffering, but something even more precious. Link in bio!
I woke up one day and found my life unrecognizable I woke up one day and found my life unrecognizable. ⁣
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So far removed from my original vision, my life story seemed to belong to someone else. ⁣
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Life is unpredictable and the story we hoped would unfold seldom becomes a reality. ⁣
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Our lives can change irrevocably in a moment—one bad decision or careless action alters our course. Or we find our lives forever changed by one major event: the loss of a spouse, bankruptcy, a devastating illness, accident, or the loss of our home. ⁣
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But more often our lives alter in slow, small shifts over time, until one day you’re living a life you no longer recognize.⁣
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While I have experienced major life altering events contributing to my feeling of disorientation with my life, I see a thousand incremental moments shifting my course.⁣
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The reality of our current life state falls more to our own designs and choices, coupled with outside forces beyond our control, like the choices of others and circumstances. ⁣
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These things together with God’s permissive will and active work in our lives conspire to edit the story we wrote for ourselves.⁣
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As I sat before God with a reality I was unable to hold, He spoke a truth to me which altered everything.⁣
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Head over to the blog to read my new post, "A Life You No Longer Recognize" to learn that same truth and find hope for your life season!⁣
Link in bio!
I woke up one day and found my life unrecognizable 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 lives forever changed by one major event: the loss of a spouse, bankruptcy, a devastating illness, accident, or the loss of our home. ⁣
⁣
But more often our lives alter in slow, small shifts over time, until one day you’re living a life you no longer recognize.⁣
⁣
While I have experienced major life altering events contributing to my feeling of disorientation with my life, I see a thousand incremental moments shifting my course.⁣
⁣
The reality of our current life state falls more to our own designs and choices, coupled with outside forces beyond our control, like the choices of others and circumstances. ⁣
⁣
These things together with God’s permissive will and active work in our lives conspire to edit the story we wrote for ourselves.⁣
⁣
As I sat before God with a reality I was unable to hold, He spoke a truth to me which altered everything.⁣
⁣
Head over to the blog to read my new post, "A Life You No Longer Recognize" to learn that same truth and find hope for your life season!⁣
Link in bio!
I made an important discovery in a recent therapy I made an important discovery in a recent therapy session. ⁣
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One of many important discoveries along the way, this revelation was the piece (and peace) I needed at my current crossroads. ⁣
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Relentless at best, resolving and processing past trauma requires continued perspective shifts.⁣
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I now stood at the crossroads of another perspective shift, continue the focus on wounds or shift the focus to the wonder of progress made so far?⁣
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Check out my new Substack post, "How Wonder Transforms Our Wounds" to see the results of my decision, and the important lesson I learned!⁣
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Link in bio!
How would you describe your relationship with grie How would you describe your relationship with grief?⁣
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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. ⁣
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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 though I feel grief and I are familiar friends, grief’s arrival still brings trepidation, not comfort. ⁣
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No matter how many times you grapple with grief, even coming to terms with its reality—it still feels unfinished. An insatiable chasm of darkness, grief comes seeking more of you when you have nothing left to give.⁣
⁣
Yet, you feel drawn to it. A macabre dance, you embrace grief while simultaneously stiffening your body against it.⁣
⁣
Join me on the blog where I share my very personal journey with grief in two separate and different instances, in my new post "The Healing Power of Grief", link in bio!
How would you describe your relationship with grie How would you describe your relationship with grief?⁣
⁣
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 though I feel grief and I are familiar friends, grief’s arrival still brings trepidation, not comfort. ⁣
⁣
No matter how many times you grapple with grief, even coming to terms with its reality—it still feels unfinished. An insatiable chasm of darkness, grief comes seeking more of you when you have nothing left to give.⁣
⁣
Yet, you feel drawn to it. A macabre dance, you embrace grief while simultaneously stiffening your body against it.⁣
⁣
Join me on the blog where I share my very personal journey with grief in two separate and different instances, in my new post "The Healing Power of Grief", link in bio!
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