Arms Upheld: Support in Life's Hard Battles

All through school we were taught to give the 'right' answers. We learned what was acceptable and what was not. We learned what was respectful and what was not.  So when I heard this certain man's response to Jesus, I was appalled.  How could he offer excuses and explanations instead of a direct and respectful response?

Then, I had to check myself and lean in closer.

Perhaps he had the right answer...

This week we return to the pool of Bethsaida (aka Bethesda). John 5:5 tells us, "A certain man was there..." A particular person in the crowd.

Jesus saw this man. He knew this man. This certain man.
Then He approaches him and asks a question, hears his heart, and heals him.

This is just like Jesus, isn't it? Doesn't he do the same with us?

Listen in to hear more about this &apos...

Chapter 5 of John tells us of an account of Jesus healing a man. He was unable to get to the pool when it stirred because of his disability. Jesus saw him, knew how long he'd waited, and approached him. Then He asked the man, "Do you want to get well?"

We may not be sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed like those in the crowd that day, but we all are disabled in some way. There are areas of our lives in which we ...

How do you process challenging news? Where do your thoughts go? Worse case scenarios? Problem solving strategies? Growth opportunities? And what emotions hit you? Do you get overwhelmed, focused, or simply shut down?

When we receive information that changes our lives in some way there's a period of processing. What does yours look like?

Join me in taking time this week to discover just that.

And let&...

Have you ever had someone pray over you something you couldn't dream possible? Their words are beyond what you would ever have thought to ask for yourself?

This has happened to me a few profound moments in my life. One recently. And as others speak prophetic words over my life, I start to believe in their vision of what was beyond possible to me only moments before.

What is currently beyond possible to you?

Have you ever found your worth in your accomplishments? You are already saved, but you still keep working at it? Or finding yourself feeling like you have to prove it?

If we read through the words of Jesus and Paul, we can come to an understanding that the Bible is a story of our need for Jesus, but the only way to benefit in this is to do nothing...except believe in Him.

Is it possible to grow in faith by doing n...

Do you ever have times when even simple things feel hard? Well, this is where I’ve been hanging out lately. These days it feels like my feet weigh a hundred pounds each as try to wade through sticky peanut butter just to make it through the day.

So today, we're going to do things a little differently. We're going to simply seek God together. We'll pray and then I'll read a psalm. Then perhaps we can bot...

Lately, whenever I go shopping, my littlest one asks for something. Can I bring her back a toy? Can she pick something if she comes with me? And if someone else has something she likes, she wants one too. At times, honestly, it feels like I’ve failed to teach her gratitude. She wants stuff., but what if I'm not I’m failing. What if wanting things is the tilt of the human heart?

'Coveting' made the cut for th...

"I am stronger now than I have ever been." This statement kept running through my mind last night and I had to write it down. But that wasn't the end. There was more.
 
I am stronger now than I have ever been because I am more dependent on God now than I have ever been.

This is the key.

When we face catastrophic defeat like that of Marvel's Avengers-Infinity War, it's not the end. ...

Lately, as I read in my Bible, God has been showing me (primarily through verbs) what is my job and what is His. Today, He did it again.

I didn't plan to read Psalm 112, but He stopped me there and broke more of the bindings to the lie that I am responsible for everything. Not in a "King of the World" sort of way, but as in I’m to blame when things crash to the floor when I am unable to balance all of spinni...

When you think of Gideon, do you think of the fleece? Maybe the odd way God winnows down his army by how they drink? Or the cool torches in jars approach to battle? The beginning of Gideon's account is where I find the most connection with him.

Gideon finds himself in a desperate situation facing starvation. The angel of the Lord approaches him and calls him "Mighty hero." Now, here, Gideon resembles nothing...

Dreams begin as seeds, planted in our youth. As we grow, we are watered by the Living Water. Just like trees, our dreams are strengthened through the storms of our lives. And one day you might just look and find fruit.

We all have dreams that are in the works. Perhaps some have been fulfilled.
Jesus had a dream too: to be the Way the Truth and the Life. Easter morning, that dream was fulfilled.

The dream, or ...

I knew that in the Garden of Gethsamane Jesus was distressed, troubled, and in anguish. So much so that he sweat drops of blood, but it never occurred to me that he struggled.

I don't know why exactly.

Struggling seems like something I do. And it seems bad. Somewhere along the way, I've chosen to believe a lie that I'm not supposed to struggle.

Jesus, Himself, tells us, "The spirit is ...

Today is beautiful. I am sitting on my back porch, sun on my face, chickens rustling about nearby. The gentle breeze brings melodious chimes my way while the cars race past out front. Beyond this little beautiful cocoon lies the world.

But what am I accountable for? The Bible tells us that we are accountable for what God has revealed to us.

We are not accountable for that which is beyond our cocoon in which we ar...

When I sit down to write, I first change my font. I intentionally move from a default setting to one of my choosing and one that has become my gateway into the creative journey of writing.

God doesn't tell us to shift into Arial size 13 font, but He does give some pointers to the Israelites before they embark on their journey into the Promised Land.

Be careful. Obey my commands. 

There's a bit ...

 And you saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place. Deuteronomy 1:31 NLT

We can all look back on our own "wilderness" times and see the way God has cared for us, just as the Israelites did. We do that so we can remember His faithfulness so when we take that next step forward, we are t...

As I was reading through Numbers, the phrase "each in position under the appropriate family banner" stood out to me. Then I continued on to discover the plan God had for the Israelites to camp around the tabernacle and how to break camp and move on. And as I pondered this, I began to see how God's design wasn't just for who walks first in a procession, but about building communities.

You see it wasn&apo...

In today's world productivity, doing and achieving, is what we do. And sometimes it becomes who we are. But what do we do or who do we become when we take that away even for a few hours?

Although we've been talking about sacrifices and ways to draw nearer to God, we also hear God inviting us to "Come." Multiple times in the Bible, Jesus calls us to Himself. For He has made a way by fulfilling all those ...