If You've Ever Asked, "Where is Jesus?"

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If You've Ever Asked, "Where is Jesus?"

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

Luke 24:15-16 ESV

Two men, Jesus’ disciples, are walking down a dirt road leading into the town of Emmaus. They witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross three days ago, and they just heard that His body has disappeared from the tomb where He was buried. The women told them an angel proclaimed Jesus had arisen from the dead, but they’re finding this news difficult to believe.

Heads hung low, and brokenhearted, they’re wondering how they could have gotten it so wrong. After all, when Jesus said He was the One they were waiting for––the One who came to set the captives free––they wholeheartedly believed Him. They’d sunk their hopes into His promise of a better life. But now, all those dreams have vanished, and they are filled with dismay.

Jesus begins to walk with them, matching their pace, and joins their conversation. “What are you talking about?” he asks. Despairingly, they stop and look….

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Enduring to the End | Brianna Barrett Blog

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Enduring to the End | Brianna Barrett Blog

I’m honored to share one of the devotions found in my book 40 Days to God, My Father on my friend Brianna Barrett’s blog. You can find an excerpt below and click the link to read the full devotion.

He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.” therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

God never audibly said no to me. But on the day I turned forty years old, the hope that swelled in my heart to have children one day wouldn’t rise above the floor. Before that moment, I’d gripped expectation and pled with my whole heart for God to give me babies. As far back as I could remember I wanted five, but I resolved to settle for just one—it never happened.

Chronic illness stole my child-bearing years, and although forty is not too old to conceive, I knew my window of opportunity had slammed shut. This realization shook me with grief. Throughout that day, even during a surprise birthday party orchestrated by my husband, one question burned in my mind: Why, God?

Looking back on my fortieth birthday (over a decade ago)—the day I knew the Lord’s answer to my prayer for children was no—I latched onto God’s words to….

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Trusting the Father When I Don't Understand | Melanie Redd Blog→

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Trusting the Father When I Don't Understand | Melanie Redd Blog

I’m honored to share one of the devotions found in my book 40 Days to God, My Father on my friend Melanie Redd’s blog this week. You can find an excerpt below and click the link to read the full devotion.

The tune of ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus plays softly in the background as I sit to tackle the day’s tasks before me. Deadlines loom, messages piling in my inbox scream for my attention, and a list of personal needs must be addressed. But the song catches my attention and its familiar lyrics slip easily from my tongue.

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take him at his word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”

I’m ushered into a holy moment—and I don’t want to miss it. The Lord prompts me to answer this question: Do I—and can I—trust Jesus? Memories flood my mind. All the hard trials that I didn’t—and still don’t fully—understand. My father’s debilitating health that began during my teenage years and eventually led to medication dependency. It wrecked our family.

My chronic illness diagnosis at age twenty-six and all the dreams shattered by the years I suffered with it. Times of financial upheaval and anxiety about the future— the list could go on. I bet yours could, too. 

Then I recall verses I memorized as a youth…

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How God Comforts Us: 4 Special Ways | Butterfly Living

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How God Comforts Us: 4 Special Ways | Butterfly Living

I’m honored to be a guest at ButterflyLiving.org. You can read an excerpt below and follow the link to read the full article.

“BEEP  B-E-E-P!” Our family’s brown Toyota Corolla’s horn echoed off the walls of the rock-walled tunnel we zipped through in the Smoky Mountains.

Daddy held his heavy hand down on the horn from the moment we entered the tunnel until our car popped into the sunshine on the other side. Belly laughs, and joyful squeals rang out from the back seat where I sat, squished between my brother and sister.

Being the youngest child, I was always summoned to sit in the middle. I abhorred the position most of the time, but my childhood family vacations only happened once a year, and I was glad for any place to enjoy the ride.

As the daughter of a pastor whose life seemed to always be under our small town’s microscope, I relished a week of uninterrupted time with Daddy and the rest of my family.

We enjoyed our adventures by dashing through the dark tunnels along the Smoky Mountain National Park highway with our car horns blaring. But other dark tunnels I’ve traveled through have not brought such exuberance. And one of those tunnels was a different kind of adventure…

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A Prayer of Trust for Another Year

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A Prayer of Trust for Another Year

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

It’s never easy to walk into the unknown. Whenever I begin a new project, face a new day, or start a new year, it always feels a bit daunting. This January isn’t any different.

A bit of angst shadows the multi-colored notes I write in my crisp calendar. And I can’t help wondering what the future holds. My past experiences have taught me to hold my plans loosely––and to expect the unexpected.

Control is an illusion. Ultimately, what happens isn’t up to me. What an hour, day, or year brings rests in the hands of our sovereign Lord. And when we’re tucked securely in….

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An Anchor of Hope for Your Soul

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An Anchor of Hope for Your Soul

We have this hope as an

anchor for the soul,

firm and secure.

Hebrews 6:19a NIV

I slathered sunscreen on my shoulders as my husband turned the key to our speedboat. The motor roared to life. He shifted the accelerator and pointed the bow to the farthest side of the lake. The boat’s hull split the water, and we jumped over the wakes in our path. My husband enjoyed racing across the lake, so I braced myself in my seat. Closing my eyes, I prayed, “Lord, meet me here.”

In the weeks before our outing on the water, I had wrestled with health setbacks. The headaches that I thought were gone had suddenly reappeared, and my nights included more time awake than asleep. The weight of my pain, along with a handful of other personal struggles, weighed on my heart, and I questioned if hope had grown wings and flown away.

Within minutes, we reached the....

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When Trouble Sets You Aside

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When Trouble Sets You Aside

Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
    the Lord hears when I call to him.

Psalm 4:3 ESV

Shadows from the morning sunlight danced across my bedroom ceiling and caught my eye as I awoke, but it was difficult to welcome its presence.  After another fitful night of sleep, my physical forecast for that day appeared the same as the long stretch of days preceding it: sprinkled with gloom and containing a splash of doom.

Years had passed since…

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Finding God's Presence in Clouds of Uncertainty→

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Finding God's Presence in Clouds of Uncertainty

I’m honored to have an article published in the Just Between Us Print Magazine, “Finding God’s Presence in the Clouds,”Spring 2024. You can read an excerpt below and follow the link to order to continue reading.

I wrapped the pink towel around my neck to support the weight of my head––the only answer to the screaming muscles in my weakened neck. Clumsily, I stooped to secure the leash to my yorkie’s collar and guided him down the porch steps as the screen door banged behind us. 

We slowly wound the path around the mountainside next to the rented farmhouse that I had called home for the last two years. This farmhouse was a place that represented so many fulfilled dreams––a new job that offered independence after college graduation, a life in the NC mountains, and budding friendships that solidified around its table––and it was the home I was preparing to bid goodbye.

My declining health was robbing me of the ability to support myself financially and meant that I would ….

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New Hope for Never-Ending Seasons

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New Hope for Never-Ending Seasons

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

I swept the brown needles from the dying Christmas tree into a tidy pile. The smell of fir still wafted through the air, but the discarded tree slumped on the woodpile outside my window, awaiting a bonfire. 

As I cleaned, my cell phone chimed several times, alerting me to New Year’s greetings from friends and family. But instead of celebrating, a weight of despair hung heavy on my shoulders.

In all the newness, nothing had changed in my painful circumstances––not in that year, nor …

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When the Fallen Pastor is Your Father | TGC

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When the Fallen Pastor is Your Father | TGC

This is my latest article published with The Gospel Coalition. Click the link to read the full article.

I’m the daughter of a pastor who fell into prescription drug abuse.

My early years are full of happy memories of a father who was present, engaged, and loving. But when I was 15 years old, my father began experiencing chronic headaches and pain. He started taking medication that was meant to help him recover, but for the next 20 years, these drugs were a source of great harm as my father fell into addiction and substance abuse.

It’s big news when a pastor falls from grace, and there are countless stories of how this affects churches. When you’re on the outside looking in, it’s easy to make assumptions and judgments about the pastor and his choices. But it’s hard to live through when….

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God Will Catch You When You Fall

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God Will Catch You When You Fall

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

Psalm 56:3 NKJV

It was hard to force air into my lungs. As I stared down at the slippery rocks in the mountain stream, I thought of all the ways my steps could go wrong, and I chided myself for ever venturing into the water. Tightly gripping my husband’s hand, I methodically placed my foot in his evaporating footprint. But with the victory of reaching the other side of the river in sight, I started to slip. Panic erupted inside my mind as my body wobbled, rocked, and swayed.

My husband’s calm voice broke through the chaos. “Honey, just fall on me. Just fall on me.” Within the span of those one or two seconds, questions swirled. What if he can’t catch me? What if I get hurt? What if my falling hurts him too?

Just then, I glimpsed his confident brown eyes––and knew….

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God Controls the Storms of Life

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God Controls the Storms of Life

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

 Psalm 46:10a NIV

I can still hear the resolve in her voice. “Sit down and get quiet. God’s doing His work!”

Any time the slightest hint of thunder rumbled through the air, my grandmother gathered all of us children in her care, and insisted we settle ourselves down. For the kids, our books, papers, and pens came out, while Grandma took the opportunity to clothe her lap with the open Word of God. A hush filled her small living room, and more often than not, I would find myself curled up on a pillow, awakening after the storm had passed.

Recently, torrential rain, rolling thunder, sharp lightning, and darkness overtook my home.

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Trusting God's Guidance in the Darkness

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Trusting God's Guidance in the Darkness

He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:3b ESV

I had no idea where I was or where I was going.

Darkness enveloped me, and the glimmer of my car’s headlights did little to help me see. My grip tightened around the steering wheel as I slowly wound higher up the mountainside. The tires periodically slipped on the remaining patches of ice from the recent storm, and I practiced slow, deep breathing as I searched for any signs of familiarity.

Somewhere in the darkness, I had missed the turn leading home. “Lord, please help me,” I whispered after the road increasingly narrowed upward. With no place to turn around, I stilled my nerves and begged God for guidance. The only way to go was forward, so I steadied my foot on the gas pedal.

Just like that winter night long ago, there have been many times in life where I’ve found myself in similar circumstances, unsure of what was ahead and feeling like I was fumbling in the dark. In every one of those places––long years of chronic illness, grief, financial struggles, and uncertainty––I found myself wondering what God was doing.

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When God Makes the Impossible Possible

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When God Makes the Impossible Possible

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 ESV 

My leg muscles burned more intensely on the last two steps. After walking up three flights of stairs with bags of groceries strapped across each shoulder, I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned around to look at where I had come from––literally and figuratively. God had surely made the impossible possible.

If I had been told in years past that one day, I would live in a third-floor apartment and easily take the stairs to reach it, I would have said that’s impossible. For years, chronic illness kept me homebound and dependent on others to complete basic tasks like grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. The couch was the cocoon that held my body full of pain and weighed down in fatigue.

Although we may face situations that seem impossible, the Bible is clear that our God is a God who can bring about great things from impossible situations.

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A Reminder from the Birds to Trust God

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A Reminder from the Birds to Trust God

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:26-27 NIV

Hearing the bird’s chirping outside my window shook me out of my sleep. Its song rose in symphony as it drawled out the lows and climbed through the highs of its melody. Pulling the covers to my chin, I attempted to return to sleep to no avail. I was drawn to the fact that there was still complete darkness shadowing the morning sun. It seemed a little early for so much excitement.

Then the scriptures in Matthew echoed in my mind: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? I wondered if the bird was singing in expectation of the sun’s appearance? Was this tiny creature resting in the promise that the sun would surely rise, and the Creator would meet each need the day presented?

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The Promise of Beauty for Every Season

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The Promise of Beauty for Every Season

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

The crunching and swooshing of freshly fallen leaves under my feet prompt me to look down. I reach for one single leaf and twirl it around and around in my hand. My eyes focus on its vibrant colors and I'm amazed at how the deep red, yellow, and orange seamlessly bleed into one another. The pattern for the leaf’s shift from a green Summer leaf to a colorful Fall leaf contains no real definition.

Staring at the beauty of this dying leaf, my gaze drifts to my hand effortlessly holding it. I take note of the creases and lines that are increasingly prevalent on my skin. Aging is taking place in tiny increments, and now that I am rounding the curve to 50, I’m acutely aware of its signs.

The Teacher’s words in Ecclesiastes echo in my mind: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. And I’m reminded of the constant change taking place in this life––the shifting from one season to the next. Some are hard seasons of illness, grief, loss, or financial struggles. Yet others are filled with laughter, joy, success, and fulfillment.

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You Can Trust the Potter's Hand

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You Can Trust the Potter's Hand

“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.”

Jeremiah 18:6b NIV

I entered my first pottery class with nervous excitement. After carefully choosing a misshapen ball of moist clay, I heard the instructor’s directions, “You have to throw the clay hard onto the wheel to make it stick.” Hesitatingly, I dropped the clay and as soon as the wheel began to turn, the ball slid from side-to-side. It was unpliable in its present state. My foot released the pedal and the wheel slowly stopped. I reattempted my beginning. This time, I slung the clay onto the surface with force and made solid contact with the center of the wheel.

In Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the Potter and His people as the clay.

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