October 27 2011, 12:13 pm | Jessica Bollen
Let’s just say last Sunday morning was not one of my… umm… sunniest mornings. I woke up on the wrong side of the wrong side of the bed, to say the least. By the time I finally made it into my car to drive to church, I was so worked up that I literally took my hands of the wheel, closed my eyes, and screamed at the top of my lungs. Cathartic? Yes. Graceful? No. Safe? Absolutely not. The funny thing is that I actually startled myself. Ha! You may...
September 26 2011, 3:33 pm | Jessica Bollen
Savior, He can move the mountains. Our God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save... My spirit always responds to this song. It never, ever fails. You know how some songs that you’ve heard a thousand times will come on the radio and simply make fantastic background music to our lives? This isn’t one of them for me... It always moves me. Usually, these words stir the part of my heart that’s broken for what seems to be the darkest corners of this world. The girl, drugged and beaten, enslaved...
September 22 2011, 7:42 pm | Shannon Williams
Each morning when you awake what is it you look for? Look for more sleep? Look for that first cup of coffee? Do you look for God? We wake up and we eagerly look for our moment. Can I get 5 more minutes of sleep? Can I get that first cup of coffee before the children are all over the place? I dare say you are like me and looking for My Lord is not my first goal! It is usually something for my comfort (or what I think will be my comfort). Not only is...
September 19 2011, 1:43 pm | Holly Moore
I tend to have attention problems. I’m not “ADHD” as inattentive people are so loosely termed these days. As a matter of fact, I’m usually, very focused. Which, is why, the inattentive thing is such a problem form me. Wait. What? Didn’t you just say you are usually very focused, but you have attention problems? Yes, I did. So let me explain the perceived oxymoron. You see, when things need to get done at work, I do them. When I’m reading something...
September 15 2011, 10:57 am | Shannon Williams
I have a story to share about a young woman, the man she loves and the baby they were allowed to hold for 93 minutes. If you know our family, then you have probably heard us say…”the Gibson’s are coming!” They have been part of our lives since we were in high school as youth pastor/mentor, he married Barry and me, and now they are precious friends for life. As the years have passed we watch our children’s lives become intertwined. It’s precious to have friends...
September 08 2011, 3:36 pm | Shana Wilson
“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.” Psalm 31:11-12 In April 2009 I had a total hysterectomy. I didn’t want to have a hysterectomy, but because I had been diagnosed with hormone positive breast cancer the year before, my oncologist insisted that removing my ovaries was important in decreasing the odds of a cancer recurrance. I knew that I was making the right decision for my body, but losing my fertility was one of the hardest...
September 06 2011, 11:47 am | Rebekah Hollaway
Sitting in a hospital room next to my 3 year old daughter, I recalled a conversation I had with her recently as we were praying: Keren: "Mommy, I don't like storms" Me: "Really? I do." Keren: "Why do you like storms?" Me: "They help me rest." But as I sit here in a "storm" of life, am I resting? One aspect is a forced rest: When a doctor tells you that your baby is being admitted to the hospital, calendars are cleared, appointments are canceled, and the waiting starts. But, I'...
August 18 2011, 2:30 pm | Shannon Williams
You can’t live very long on this planet and not experience pain in one form or another. For me, it’s been the last couple of years in some physical pain as I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a year ago May. You don’t get a diagnosis like that and NOT have a little process time! My first thought, life is over! How on earth am I going to be a mom to 8 children and a wife to my husband when the pain in my hand, wrist, shoulder, foot, or knee...
June 06 2011, 7:23 am | Holly Moore
I don’t know about you, but I’ve made decisions and then spent hours, days, even years, second-guessing them. I’m not talking about God-driven decisions; I’m talking about those I chose to make “on my own.” It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that God should be involved in all decisions, no matter how small or insignificant we think they are. But the fact of the matter is that I’ve failed in the past and made decisions that I feel are wrong...
May 24 2011, 7:13 am | Shana Wilson
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). I am convinced… That there is a purpose in every moment. That God wants to use me. That my suffering matters. That Daddy redeems the hard things, if not in this life, certainly in the one to come. That “our struggle is not against...
May 18 2011, 8:31 am | Jessica Bollen
First, let me just say that I am beyond thrilled about the opportunity to write for this blog. I am truly honored that someone (ahem... Shannon Williams...) would want to hear what I have to say. However, from the start, I pray that none of my own words ever appear here, only those that God our Father wishes to speak through me. He may want to speak to 200 of you, or maybe just one, but let me say that the one, sweet sister is worth any and all efforts that go into our Reflections. It’s funny,...