Tag: depression
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The Grace of His Gaze

Wrap presents. Put up decorations. Maybe I need new lights since mine don’t sparkle just like the ones I saw on Instagram? Finish Christmas shopping. Can we all stay healthy for everything we have planned? How can I make this Christmas special for those around me? If you’re anything like me, this might be a…
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The Lost Treasure: the joy in being found

Have you ever felt lost before? Or maybe you feel lost while you are reading this? I’ve been there before and it is a lonely place. There is good news, friends! We can be found. I hope you’ll join me on my blog today to read about the ultimate finder of lost things. I pray…
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Rewriting Our Scars: is there even beauty there?

My son’s scream jolts me out of my thoughts as we walk over the rocky trail on a daily adventure. Sticking out his bottom lip, he looks up at me, “Mommy, it’s red. I’m bleeding. I need a Bandaid.” I reach into my bag and pull out a neon colored Bandaid, pulling off the wrapper…
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Worthy: God’s Whisper in Despair

You know those nights when tears soak your pillowcase leaving behind puffy eyes? Or tossing and turning is a constant companion, leaving you exhausted to face the day ahead? You are not alone; I’ve had those days, too. Take heart, dear one, God’s Word offers us a sweet truth for our worn-down souls. Even if…
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We might bend, but we won’t break

As a young child, I vividly remember fearfully peering out our basement window, watching the once tall tree giants bending, almost like Gumby, as tornado-like winds blew across our backyard. They are going to snap, I remember thinking. Now as an adult, I often feel like those trees, thinking, I’m going to snap. Have you…
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When stillness is hard to find

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a crank-the-music-up-loud kind of girl. My husband often jokes with me, “You were really jamming out in here,” when he hops in the car after I’ve been driving. My son follows in my footsteps as, “Turn it up,” is one of his favorite requests. So, today, when his…
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Five Truths For Our Weary Souls

Two weeks ago, during a string of rough days, intrusive thoughts blared across my mind, leaving in their wake, a tear-stricken face and warped mind. I’m not sure what your hard season looks like—job loss, heavy-hearted loneliness, a difficult diagnosis, grief from losing a loved one, a broken relationship, anxious and depressive thoughts, an eating…
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Because of His Death: “the old has gone, the new is here!”

Have you ever felt like spring’s beginning is just plain yucky? As we squelch through muddy backyards, wipe filthy dog paws, or dig in dirt to plant hopeful seeds, it is easy to focus on the dirt caked upon our shoes or underneath our fingernails. In doing so, we often forget the new creations breaking…
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Is God Near When I Pray?

Do you ever struggle to pray in difficult seasons because you feel God is far away, so you don’t cry out to Him? God’s nearness is something I struggle to believe and feel, especially in difficult seasons. In His kindness, the Lord illustrates His nearness as I watch my daughter at the playground. I invite…
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The Dawn of Spring: the Shepherd’s hope in our weariness

My gray and green shoes pound the sidewalk pavement, while my hand loosely holds the ridged black leash. Following this long leash to its end, you will find my white faced, golden haired miniature golden doodle. Anxiety is all-consuming today– pulsing between my shoulder and scapula, palpitating tension throughout my body. I cannot seem to…
