We’ve heard such stories as these from those who have received beauty for their ashes:
I had no idea I’d be called to grief counseling one day…
and that what would qualify me was having endured sudden, tragic loss.
I…
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One Step Forward
Sometimes in life we passionately want something that seems so out of reach. This makes the wanting painful and we’re tempted to surrender our dream just to stop hurting over it. Instead of focusing on not having it, however, we…
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True Security
We all live with a false sense of security, such as if we take care of our health we’ll live a long life… or if we’re loving and conscientious parents our children will stay on track… or if we are…
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Where Our Power Lies
At times in life we may encounter the troublesome behavior of a loved one. When we witness this we may be tempted to step into given situations and try to fix them. Or we may try to articulate our understanding…
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It’s the How
After talking with some friends about difficult relationships in our lives, I was reminded of a common point of challenge. Someone ends up arguing with someone else over the delivery of a message, before ever getting to the actual matter…
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What Makes Us Free
In her book Violence and Nonviolence in Scripture: Helping Children Understand Challenging Stories, author Catherine Maresca writes, “…God does not force change, but allows us to experience to consequences of our choices. This is the vulnerability of God. God…
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Foundation of Love
This week I had the joy of talking to our church's Vacation Bible School students about the Foundation of Love. As I told the kids, when we say that Love is the foundation of our lives, we’re saying that Love…
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Masks and Mirrors
We all have a Persona, which is the role we play in society. The word Persona comes from Latin and means “mask.” Our Personas are what we present to the outside world, and this presentation may or may not be…
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A Train Ride
A friend recently shared an analogy she learned which compared life to a train ride. The train will likely go through beautiful scenery, unpleasant scenery, and everything in between. It’s easier to stay on the train (i.e. stay in a…
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