The writer of Psalm 116 had been through trauma. He cried out to God for help and received it. To show his appreciation he said: “I will fulfill my vows to the LORD…” (verse 14). It’s telling that fulfilling his vows is a part of how he shows his gratitude. Since God had been true … Continue reading When promises are stabilizing handrails
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Avoiding the crash
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Earlier this year I invited therapist Sarah Covey to speak at a workshop. She talked about the possibility of a post-pandemic “crash.” Not for everyone, but for some. Generally speaking, we’re designed to handle crises for short periods of time. But the COVID-19 … Continue reading Avoiding the crash
Undermining your own goldmine
Do you want to persevere through this challenging chapter of life? If so, James 5 provides some powerful and down-to-earth How-To’s. Amongst other things he says, “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged” (verse 9). Perhaps his first-century audience was in the habit of moaning and groaning against each … Continue reading Undermining your own goldmine
Your soldiers for the battle
Why have many of us bought the lie that life is supposed to be easy? Maybe it's tempting to believe all the shiny, happy people in the TV commercials. But no. Life is a... Battle. In this country, 1 in 4 are "very stressed" at work. 1 in 8 families struggle to put food on … Continue reading Your soldiers for the battle
They went to the gunman’s parents’ house
In October 2006, a gunman took hostages in a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. He shot ten children. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Then he shot himself. Five of the children died, and people around the world were horrified. But get this: Just hours after it happened, people in the … Continue reading They went to the gunman’s parents’ house
The Up Devotional 