Category: trials

What To Do When You Feel Helpless
Responding to trials · trials

What To Do When You Feel Helpless

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During the Coronavirus time, did you feel helpless?  You may have looked at your own abilities or your influence and wondered what you could do. 

During this time of violence and hatred in our country, do you wonder how you could make a difference?

God gives us a beautiful picture of someone in the Bible who could have felt unqualified to do anything about the hard circumstances in which he found himself. That person was Elijah. 

Elijah was living at a time when King Ahab ruled.  Let me remind you that Ahab’s wife was Jezebel.  They made a wicked team.  I Kings 16: 33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Why didn’t someone just go let King Ahab have it?  It seems much of the nation of Israel had turned from God to Baal. Ahab might have been thinking he was doing pretty good running things the way he liked them.  This went on for 22 years!  Then we turn to Chapter 17 and everything begins to change! Continue reading “What To Do When You Feel Helpless” →

Christmas · trials

Suffering at Christmas

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Merry Christmas to each of you! 

I pray this day finds you rejoicing and full of joy today!  However, I know that often Christmas can be so difficult.  I have been so burdened for so many folks who are suffering in one way or another this Christmas. it’s on every side. Pain, sickness, loss…so much hurting and suffering.  It may seem an awful time of year to be dealing with hard things, but as I shared on this past Saturday’s broadcast, suffering can help us realize why Christ came.  You can listen to the broadcast by clicking this link~

Suffering at Christmas

I hope this will encourage your heart today, whether it’s you that is suffering or someone you love.

Because He came,

denise a

 

Christlikeness · Responding to trials · trials

Look Like Him

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The funniest occurrence happened this week and I’ve lost track of how many times this scenario has happened in the past.  I was out shopping and a couple walked past me and greeted me…warmly, with that recognition kind of “Hello!”  I kept walking because I have never seen them before.  Then they called a name ~

“Dianne!”

It was at that moment that I realized this person thought they were seeing my twin sister, Dianne!  I turned and confessed that “Dianne” wasn’t being rude and ignoring them, but that I am her twin, Denise! They responded with,

Oh my!  You look just like her!

These situations have happened out of the state in which she lives, which makes it even more crazy!  Even as adults, I guess we must still look alike.! There’s something in me that makes them think they’re seeing Dianne.

The following day after this happened, I was thinking of a difficulty I’m facing and was praying about my responses.  It’s so easy to turn cynical, sarcastic and even want to pull away, but then I was reminded that when others see me, they should see Christ in me.  He should be so recognizable in my words, my actions, and even what my expression reveals.  Is there…

  • Worry?
  • Anger?
  • Depression?
  • Disgust?

If so, others will walk right on by, seeing only Denise instead of Jesus.  But what if I allow the Lord to help me be mindful of His responses towards me so that I can show those same traits to others by His power?  They will see:

  • Joy!
  • Love!
  • Trust!
  • Forgiveness!

Could people walk past you and me and see Jesus?  Oh no, we’ll never be perfect this side of heaven, but there should be something so familiar about  our lives and responses, that they would be reminded  of Christ! Let’s pray that we look more and more like Him as the years pass!

I’m thankful for a twin so the Lord could remind me today that I need to look like Him!
Who are you showing to a watching world?

denise a