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A Holy Pause
Sometimes in life, we need to stop what we are doing and walk away. This is not because we are doing something wrong. Nor is it because we are bored with what we are doing. It is for rest—a time to lay down in green pastures and allow God to refresh your soul. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:1-3 I have heard the gentle whisper of God inviting me to a place and a time of rest. As I reflect upon the past four years of writing this blog, I see…
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Expect A Testimony
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 I was shocked. I could not believe this was happening to me. What had I done to deserve such unfair treatment? I needed help to process this. I wanted to tell everyone about how the world had wronged me. So, I grabbed the donuts, called my husband in a fit of rage, and focused intently on my perceived right to an immediate solution. Should I expect God to do a miracle? The situation I am in feels like it will require a miracle to bring all to Justice. To right the wrong, to heal my battered…
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The Power of the Spoken Word
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21. Do my words have more power when I say them out loud? Growing up, my mom would consistently drill this into my head, “You have what you say.” Should I wake up grumpy and claim the day to be downright rotten, my mom might respond with, “Laurie, you are going to have a wonderful day!” She would then remind me, “You have what you say.” Ok, I promise, I am not about to preach a prosperity message. There will be no “Name it and claim it” reels played out in…
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The Screwtape Letters–Relationship Drama and Life After Death
Relationship Drama Letter Three of The Screwtape Letters is one of my favorites. It clarified how simple temptation could be for us to fall into it. In this letter, we meet another character named Glubose. He is the demon in charge of the human’s mother. Screwtape (Head demon of Hell) is instructing Wormwood (Screwtape’s nephew and intern of sorts) to advise Glubose to make sure the relationship between mother and son slowly deteriorates. When we become Christians, we receive a new heart. This comes with unique desires and new motives. Imagine the possibilities of improved relationships when you start to love others as Jesus loves you! In our screwy letters,…
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The Screwtape Letters – Humility, Hope, and Happiness
Maintaining a transparent relationship with God. Have you ever made grand resolutions to God after backsliding in your faith? We might resolve to quit cussing or stop being so self-centered. We might promise to become humble in our place before God. As we mature in our Christianity, we learn about grace and forgiveness and, eventually, about true humility. It is in this virtue of genuine humility where we can maintain a transparent relationship with God. So, what is true humility? In letter fourteen, Screwtape (Head demon of Hell) is concerned because Wormwood’s (Screwtape’s nephew and intern of sorts) Patient (a human seeking to convert to Christianity) has discovered real humility.…
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The Screwtape Letters – Pray As If Your Life Depends on It
In letter #1, Screwtape (Head demon of Hell) tells Wormwood (Screwtape’s nephew and intern of sorts) a story of a time when they brought a soul safely into Our Father’s (The Devil’s) house. The Patient (a human seeking to convert to Christianity) was having a moment with the Lord while sitting in a museum. Screwtape had invested twenty years into this one patient, making sure he was a sound atheist. He was freaking out because The Enemy (God) began working on The Patient’s heart. Screwtape could have attempted an argument with the man, but he was not such a fool. Instead, he struck at the part of the man which…
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The Screwtape Letters Series – Introduction
Who is C.S. Lewis? One could quote from this website many facts about C.S. Lewis, and by following the link, you may choose to indulge in the points of this literary wonder. But I want to share a brief background of who Lewis was, based on what I found interesting. Most of you probably have at least heard of C.S. Lewis, known for such books as Mere Christianity, the Chronicles of Narnia series, and my favorite, The Screwtape Letters. He is one of the most well-known and often quoted Christian authors of the twentieth century. As a sickly child who lost his mother at an early age, Clive Staple abandoned…
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Lessons on Faith from the Woman with the Blood Issue.
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. Mark 5:25-29 After several days in the hospital and weeks in recovery, we are glad my husband had survived the Covid-19 virus. However,…
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The Spiritual Discipline of Journaling
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’ Jeremiah 30:2 Words are powerful. The God of the universe spoke the world into existence. We speak words over one another at birth (Baptism/child dedication), graduations, weddings, and finally in death. Writing is communication, creativity, spirituality, and self-expression. Journaling is a sacred act that can help form us spiritually. So is journaling a spiritual discipline? There may not be any place in the Bible where it teaches explicitly or tells us to keep a journal. Still, I believe it is a discipline that aids us in biblical…
