Serenity in Suffering

Finding Peace and Purpose in the Storms of Life

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Growing in Grace

lavender arm chair, cozy pillows, next to coffee table with large book, celebrating joy in the ordinary moments

Celebrating Joy in the Ordinary Moments

Seashore at sunset, driftwood, overcoming weariness in well doing

Overcoming Weariness in Well-Doing

lavender and white veil blowing in the wind on sandy beach reflecting on christian freedom

Reflecting on Christian Freedom

Vikos Gorge through clouds, trusting when joy seems hidden

Trusting When Joy Seems Hidden

garden bench in background, purple flowers in foreground, are you growing spiritually

Are You Growing Spiritually?

Large planter of purple petunias foreground blured background, the wisdom of god when life is hard

The Wisdom of God When Life is Hard

exspansive field of lavendar the limitless mercy of our god

The Limitless Mercy of Our God

close up of wisteria blooms over grey stone steps, when you can't take one more step

When You Can’t Take One More Step

white vase of purple, yellow and orange dried flowers in front of mirror, joy's reflection of God's image

Joy’s Reflection of God’s Image

brown wooden bench in the garden surrounded by green plants and flowers, spending time in the garden

Spending Time in the Garden

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 pussy willows, finding joy in sanctification

Finding Joy in Sanctification

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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

  • Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions
  • Where is God in the Silence?
  • Are You Wearing the Fragrance of Christ?
  • The Wisdom of the Wilderness
  • Stunned by God: An Incredulous Encounter

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serenityinsuffering

Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering whe Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering where God is?⁣
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Not long ago I spent time with someone enduring a long season of suffering. ⁣
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Sharing many things in common, our visits overflow with easy conversation and genuine connection. ⁣
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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. ⁣
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We have both found ourselves grappling with doubts, darkness and unanswered questions in our current seasons of life. ⁣
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In these seasons though we determine to persevere with steadfast faith, our hope wavers.⁣
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Embattled by suffering, doubts and unanswered questions swirl amid the darkness obscuring the light of hope so necessary for our souls to find their way home.⁣
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In seasons of complex suffering like my friend has endured for several years, God’s silence leaves us wrestling with guilt over our doubts about His love, disillusionment over our faith, and perhaps worst of all, whether God is who He says He is.⁣
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If this describes your current season, I have something to share with you in my new blog post, "Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions". Find the link in my bio-see you there!
Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering whe Are you confused, disillusioned, and wondering where God is?⁣
⁣
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 ourselves grappling with doubts, darkness and unanswered questions in our current seasons of life. ⁣
⁣
In these seasons though we determine to persevere with steadfast faith, our hope wavers.⁣
⁣
Embattled by suffering, doubts and unanswered questions swirl amid the darkness obscuring the light of hope so necessary for our souls to find their way home.⁣
⁣
In seasons of complex suffering like my friend has endured for several years, God’s silence leaves us wrestling with guilt over our doubts about His love, disillusionment over our faith, and perhaps worst of all, whether God is who He says He is.⁣
⁣
If this describes your current season, I have something to share with you in my new blog post, "Doubts, Darkness, and Unanswered Questions". Find the link in my bio-see you there!
Are you living with unanswered prayer? Failure in Are you living with unanswered prayer?

Failure in receiving an immediate answer to prayer tests our faith in, and relationship to God. 

Stripping away superficial ideals, false perspectives, and earthly comforts all force us into the light. 

A light which begs answers to the hard questions of why we place belief in God and if God truly is who we believe.

When I suffered a deep personal tragedy involving my son, my limited vision only saw heaven’s door closed in my face; suffering obscured the sight of God's face and the sound of His voice.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to read my personal story over on Substack, in my post, "Suffering in Seasons of Silence", where you may also find encouragement for your own journey. Link in bio!

#serenityinsuffering #suffering #trauma #unansweredprayer #doubts #godslove #hope #faith
Have you ever longed for a faith that was fully al Have you ever longed for a faith that was fully alive and present?

I longed for a faith that exhibited more than obedience, a faith fully alive and present.

I longed for a heart ablaze with love for Christ, not one that flickered, devoid of boldness—a devotion shaped not by duty, but by desire.

I think most of us would agree that we have this longing, yet we struggle to move from longing to reality.

In my new book, "A Passion for Christ: A Transformative Faith Journey through the Passion of Christ to a Passion for Christ", I help you move beyond the simple desire to the reality of an intimacy which is truly transforming.

Available on Amazon. See the direct link in my bio.

For those who have read my book, what was most impactful for you in your journey?

#serenityinsuffering #newdevotional #devotionals #spiritualformation #godslove #hope #faith
When was the last time you chased the healing powe When was the last time you chased the healing power of beauty?

Ever since I can remember I have found beauty to bring a level of healing to my soul.

Whether that beauty is art, music, or nature, I am transformed within it.

Over the past week I have immersed myself in the beauty of my gardens, capturing these photos of Virginia Blue Bells, Jacob's Ladder, Woodland Anemones, Yellow Star Flowers, Daffodils, Wood Ferns, & a simple Hyacinth.

I captured many more photos but stopped to share this small sampling to encourage you to pursue beauty in your own surroundings.

The stunning beauty of nature reminds us of the good here in the land of the living, that Eden buried in our hearts is still alive despite the suffering and brokenness around us.

Where are you finding beauty today?

#serenityinsuffering #eden #garden #springbeauty #hope #faith #redemption
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?⁣
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Triumphantly entering Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish Passover, on what we term “Palm Sunday”, the people hail Jesus as “king”. ⁣
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Yet no one, not even Jesus’ disciples, despite Jesus plainly telling them, understood He entered as the sacrificial Passover Lamb.⁣
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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!
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