He Turns My Pleas to Praise
He Turns My Pleas to Praise When I am... Angry Consumed with grief Caught up in sin Discouraged Desperate Dumbfounded Engaged in battle Faithless Fearful Groping for guidance Helpless Hopeless Overwhelmed Panicked Pressed Pressured Stressed Tempted I turn to my...
I Journal Because I Don’t Want To Miss Anything
I wake up early and know He’s waiting for me. I tiptoe down the hall and enter the secret place. What does He have for me today? I take my journal and His Word. I don’t want to miss anything. Jesus is my Teacher and, right now, I'm His student. What will I learn in...
The Consilium Podcast, Episode 8, Julie Hulstein
Today God is redeeming and restoring lives and communities through Vi Bella Jewelry by providing life-changing employment and a framework to share the gospel daily in supportive work centers.
Journaling Love Letters to God
“Letters mingle souls.” —John Donne “You show that you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” —2 Corinthians 3:3 As a new Christian, though I loved my heavenly...
Unshelving My Purpose After Years of Neglect
When I was a high school freshman, I approached my English teacher, Mrs. Richard. My appetite for words urged me to ask her where I could buy one of the books we used in class—The American Heritage Dictionary. She looked up from the papers she was grading, red pen in...
Created with a Purpose: Living in the Same
What is purpose? The dictionary says purpose is the reason for which something exists or is done, made, or used; an aim or goal with an intended or desired end or result; determination; resoluteness; to act with intention with an anticipated outcome; the quality of...
Looking Up
I don't ever remember a time that I didn't look up to my dad. The fact that he is 6'4" is one reason that looking up to him is all I can do. As a little girl, I remember pressing my bare feet on top of his feet as he led me in a dance of gentle swaying. As a high...
Living on Purpose When You Don’t Want To (The Hippopotamus Hypothesis)
I didn’t say it to him, because he was my boss and a pastor. I didn’t raise my voice and I remained seated, but mentally, I was on my feet and my emotions were rising precipitously. You want me to do what? I questioned silently … with exasperation and, admittedly, a...
Longing for the High Place Where Death Does Not Win
Out of the blue last Tuesday, I was struck down by a wave a grief, sobbing and wrestling with loss after loss. In a matter of days we had attended two visitations at the same funeral home. One was for an elderly man who lived a long life. And one was for a...
Grieving? Do You Believe?
She bows her head down low. Not in shame or embarrassment, but sorrow. You will not see her tears; she refuses to share her grief. Easter brings us face-to-face with death. Do you believe? We walk in the fear of the unknown when we discover more of our friends are...
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