Sometimes it still hurts. It makes me angry, frustrated, and, if I'm honest with myself, afraid it will happen again. And right now, I don’t have enough strength to run from it, much less control it. I have two choices. I can just let those thoughts have their way—give in and let them redefine the …
The Door at the Top of the Trees
When something difficult happens, or you lose something important, God doesn't expect you to ignore the disappointment and push the pain down with a religious smile painted on your face. For whatever may be going on, it's a process that's deeper and more complex than just taking clinical steps from denial to acceptance. It's a …
Cultivating the Right Fields
You can't cultivate negativity and expect to produce positive results. You know that. I know that because I've tried it way too many times. You don't always realize you're doing it until you're suddenly faced with a stressful or painful situation, and the true state of your heart shows up. If you've been nursing an …
Undaunted
"There were those . . . who set out to discourage them, and make them too afraid to go on building" (Ezra 4:4). The word used for “afraid” in this verse doesn't just mean frighten. It means to cause someone's mind to be completely cast down in fear. It means to terrorize people to the …
Learning to Live
At every negative you encounter, you're learning more about what doesn't work, what you don't want, and what isn't you. I know it's not easy, but if you learn to see the hidden value contained in difficult seasons, you don't have to default to old ways of dealing with stress, frustration, failure, or even pain. …
Equip Your Spirit 