Serenity in Suffering

Finding Peace and Purpose in the Storms of Life

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Hi I'm Donna

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Welcome to Serenity in Suffering; a safe place to be heard, known and experience personal growth and freedom in the hard places of life.

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Eyes on the Shepherd: Walking in Step with the Spirit
Finding God in a Cup of Coffee
Turning Toward the Light When Darkness Falls
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When God Waits for You

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Who isn't looking for peace these days?⁣ ⁣ Fro

Who isn't looking for peace these days?⁣
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From what I hear most days from people I interact with, it feels like the Holy Grail.⁣
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Do you ever feel like Peace is the most elusive thing you pursue?⁣
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Reading Proverbs 16:9 for the umpteenth time, ⁣
"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps."⁣
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God spoke this truth to me:⁣
"𝙋𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨."⁣
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In my tenacious self-sufficiency I think I can plan my way into peace by covering all the bases, making sure I've thought of every eventuality.⁣
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But I fail to obtain the peace I desperately desire.⁣
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Today, as God spoke this truth to me, I finally realized the freedom in not having all the answers—because HE does, and HE is the one guiding my steps.⁣
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Does this meet you in a place of need today? How does this truth change your perspective on peace?⁣
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#serenityinsuffering #serenity #godslove #suffering #godspresence #faith #hope #peace #peaceofgod

Do you walk through your days on autopilot?⁣ ⁣

Do you walk through your days on autopilot?⁣
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I confess I often do.⁣
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Or maybe you are living distracted, with your mind on so many things you can hardly keep up.⁣
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But what are you missing by not being fully present?⁣
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Recently reading the story of the Transfiguration in the Gospel of Luke, I noticed it mentioned the disciples "were heavy with sleep" and when they woke up, they saw Jesus in His glory.⁣
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This resonates with me. I wonder how often I am sleepwalking through my days, distracted or on autopilot. Missing God working, missing His miracles in the mundane.⁣
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The sad part of living this way is that it causes my heart to remain closed too.⁣
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Or I simply miss the point altogether, like Peter in this story, unable to simply abide with Jesus, because I am too distracted by my agenda to "build something" for God instead of being with Him, listening to Him.⁣
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If this hits home for you, pray with me to awaken truly to God's presence.⁣
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"Lord Jesus, wake me up to your presence today. Help me to see your beauty and hear your voice above the noise and distractions of my life.⁣
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Help me to recognize my need to be needed, perform and accomplish something of value for You, and simply choose to enjoy and honor Your presence. Let me rest in the simple thought, "It is good to be here—with You." Amen.⁣
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Let me know in the comments if you prayed this prayer with me!

Have you ever given a gift to someone eager to see

Have you ever given a gift to someone eager to see their surprise when they opened it, but they simply set it aside "for later"?⁣
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Even though after they open it "later" you will receive heartfelt thanks, it will feel hollow after being denied the joy of watching them open your carefully chosen and wrapped with love gift for them.⁣
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One morning recently as I sat in contemplative prayer, God spoke this very message to me.⁣
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He asked me the question about giving a gift to someone, but them not opening it with me.⁣
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As the picture came into my mind, He told me that is how he feels when I fail to linger with Him in the morning. I never miss a day of prayer and bible reading, but often I will rush through, or fail to sit and listen.⁣
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Each day is a gift from God, wrapped with His unfailing love and Presence. Many days have the beaming bow of a glorious sunrise too.⁣
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Nothing delights God more than when we sit intentionally with Him and unwrap that gift with Him. Gazing into what He has planned for us that day, while sharing our wishes and fears too.⁣
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Holding this picture in my mind gave me a new understanding of God's perspective on how I spend the first moments of my day.⁣
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How does this metaphor resonate with you? I would love to hear in the comments!

When was the last time you received a gift, you di

When was the last time you received a gift, you did not deserve?⁣
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On a recent walk, I soaked in the splendor of this gorgeous autumn season in my area, capturing the pictures shared here.⁣
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Overcome with the spectacular colors—can you believe the orange leaves against that blue sky?⁣
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I felt as though I was feasting on God's goodness. My heart full of gratitude, I began singing praise songs and hymns, thanking Him for the blessing of beholding the stunning beauty before me.⁣
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Then I turned a corner and stopped in my tracks.⁣
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I stood face to face with a scrawny lilac bush I had passed dozens of times, feeling sorry for its condition and lack of blooms this past spring.⁣
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Only there it was in full bloom! Their intoxicating fragrance mingled with the musty aroma of fallen leaves was almost magical.⁣
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This moment may not seem like much, but lilacs are my favorite flower and to see them in bloom out of season, to see them bloom in my favorite season of autumn, was not only a glimmer of grace, but a gift of grace.⁣
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Grace is God's unmerited favor—something we neither earn nor deserve but is graciously lavished upon us by a loving God for His pure delight.⁣
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Why were the lilacs blooming? I don't know. But what I do know is, nothing is too hard for God. ⁣
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He knows us so intimately, and loves us so completely, His grace overflows into our lives to remind us He is infinitely delighted in us, even when we deserve it the least.⁣
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What glimmers of grace is God leaving along your path today? Tell me in the comments!

Have you ever stepped onto a familiar path and sti

Have you ever stepped onto a familiar path and still felt uncertain about what lies ahead?⁣
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Whether the quiet predictability of a morning walk or the emotional terrain of a hospice shift, each day holds unknowns. ⁣
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I walk many such paths—some lined with routine, others shadowed by sorrow or surprise. And yet, no matter how well-worn the way, true clarity comes only when walking in step with the Spirit of God.⁣
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Join me on the blog for my new post, "Eyes on the Shepherd: Walking in Step with the Spirit", where I share a personal experience and a practical way to find certainty on uncertain paths. Link in bio!

Celebrating Glimmers of Grace with my favorite aut

Celebrating Glimmers of Grace with my favorite autumn breakfast:⁣
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Homemade Italian walnut bread with butter and fresh pumpkin puree and cinnamon. This is a family recipe I make often with toasted walnuts.⁣
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Feta cheese, the last of my orange candy grape tomatoes from my neighbor's garden next door, and a sliced persimmon.⁣
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Persimmons are one of my absolute favorite fruits. We had two large persimmon trees in our yard when we lived in Albania on the mission field.⁣
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I personally love them green, but the Albanian students who stopped by our house wouldn't touch them until they were deep orange and mushy.⁣
I laugh when I remember them standing in our yard under the trees hands and chins dripping with the juicy fruit.⁣
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Persimmons become sweeter as they ripen and are one of the few fruits you can eat in all stages from green to [almost] rotten!⁣
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This breakfast eaten on a sunny porch watching the leaves floating down all around- Sheer heaven.⁣
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Where are you seeing glimmers of God's grace today?

Have you ever stepped onto a familiar path and sti

Have you ever stepped onto a familiar path and still felt uncertain about what lies ahead? ⁣
⁣
Whether the quiet predictability of a morning walk or the emotional terrain of a hospice shift, each day holds unknowns.⁣
I walk many such paths—some lined with routine, others shadowed by sorrow or surprise. ⁣
⁣
And yet, no matter how well-worn the way, true clarity comes only when walking in step with the Spirit of God.⁣
⁣
As we keep our eyes on God, we remain in step with His Spirit and are directed to the fulfilling of His purpose. ⁣
⁣
We also become positioned to view the glimmers of grace He places in our paths.⁣
⁣
Join me on the blog where I share a personal experience of God's speaking into my day and the unexpected result of my following Him. Link in bio!

👉Are you in a season of uncertainty? 🫣Me to

👉Are you in a season of uncertainty?

🫣Me too.

💜But in the midst of the uncertainty, I know two things that are certain.

👉First, I am not alone. And neither are you. God promises to never leave us nor abandon us.

He is with us now in our uncertainty, but He also goes before us to prepare the way.

💜He is also waiting for us with comfort if our journey ends in hard news and rejoicing if it ends in happy news.

👉Second, I am certain God is faithful to His promises. Like the one in Isaiah 41:13:

"I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you."

🙏💜Let this truth transform your uncertainty into the certain reality of God's Presence, Provision, and unfailing love for you today.

🌼Tag someone below who needs to hear this!

#serenityinsuffering #uncertainty #anxiety #hope #faith #help #godspresence #godslove

A reminder of life's beauty in the midst of death.

A reminder of life's beauty in the midst of death.⁣
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Each day I try to stay alert for simple ways beauty peeks into my moments, especially the hard moments.⁣
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Today during my shift at the hospice inpatient center, after witnessing the deep decline of a favorite patient, I wandered into the kitchen area to make lunch for a newly arrived patient and saw this tiny vase of flowers.⁣
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After witnessing the ruthlessness of death just moments before, the reminder of the beauty of life soothed my sadness with hope.⁣
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“𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳, ‘𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘦; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘦. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?'” – John 11:25-26⁣
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Where have you encountered the beauty of God's presence today? let me know in the comments!

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