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The Secret Power of Gratitude
It’s the holiday season. We are bundling up in scarves and mittens; buying gifts and trimming the Christmas tree. Although Christmas is almost upon us, I still keep thinking of Thanksgiving and the idea of practicing gratitude in everyday life. The holiday season is a difficult time of year for many people. So many of us have experienced loss over the years. And many are still isolated due to the pandemic. And of course, this is one of the busiest times of year, adding stress to our plates. Kind of hard to always feel grateful when all of this is a lead weight on your shoulders. If you feel…
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Shining Through the Darkness
A light will always shine brightest in the darkness. I find it amazing how one small candle or night light can illuminate an entire room. I tend to wander around my apartment at night without my glasses, and that often leads to missed steps and stubbed toes. However, a little light from my phone’s screen changes everything. Suddenly I see what’s right in front of me. I know exactly how far the edge of my bed is or if there’s a cat toy on the floor. I see things as they really are. I see the truth. That’s what happens when the light of the Gospel shines on our hearts.…
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The Promise of His Presence
Why is it that you can seem to have everything, and yet feel so empty and alone? This world promises us happiness and fulfillment in so many ways: money, relationships, jobs, new experiences–the list goes on. The Hollow Promise But what happens when that’s not enough? What about that hollow feeling? The one tugging at you, making you work until your knuckles bleed, so you can forget that it’s there. The hollowness that leaks out as tears as you lie awake in bed at night. The hollow feeling that makes people cut, starve, and lash out at others? This post isn’t pretty, but it’s real and raw. Because I’ve been…
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When It Feels Like Your Life Has No Direction
I remember sitting in the library of my local community college. I was trying to figure out what career I wanted to pursue, and how to go about life while facing a chronic illness. Any young adult can relate to the pressures of this world. It’s like as soon as you turn 18, you need to have everything all figured out. College majors, jobs, dating, and relationships. There’s just so much to figure out, and sometimes it feels like you’re the only one without a clue of what to do–the only one without direction. When you feel like your life has no direction, this is actually an opportunity for God…
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What Failure Taught Me About Surrender
Ever have one of those days when your thoughts seem to be haunting you? Lately, those days have been frequent for me. I feel as though God has been working on me about confidence and my identity in Christ, but my own mind likes to self-sabotage. Life is changing rapidly for me, as I am finishing college and will be getting a real “adult” job. The class and internship work is piling up, and now I know what my friends meant by the term senioritis. All of this is a recipe for stress and opportunity, and that also means failure. And I hate failing. I really hate failing. As a…