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How to Praise God When Storms Rage

How to Praise God When Storms Rage

“I will praise You in this storm…” I’ve made that choice many times. I have stood at the edge of the storm and decided that “I will praise God even here.” But the will and the follow-through do not always go hand-in-hand. Paul said it best, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I…
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Joy, Trust, and Labor

Trust, Joy, and Labor

If joy is found in trust… Trusting God has a good plan. Trusting His justice. Trusting God cares. …then do we just wallow in the status quo? Do we simply say “this is how God made me and so I trust His plan, His justice, and that He cares. So I don’t have to do…
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Finding Joy when it isn't fair

Finding Joy When it is Unfair

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 ESV Last night my favorite basketball team, the Kansas Jayhawks, beat their in-state rivals, the Kansas…
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Finding Joy in Grief

Finding Joy in Grief

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b ESV Grief can rub a soul so raw that the soothing balm joy feels like it acid. And it can taint a mind so that it only sees pain, heartache, curses. But joy of the Lord is strength. Not the only…
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When God Doesn’t Fix Your Problem

My friend Lindsey Bell is sharing her heart and part of her new book Unbeaten over here today. I pray her words touch your hearts and encourage you today. When God Doesn’t Fix Your Problem By Lindsey Bell What if God doesn’t fix your problem?
 Of course, I hope He does. I hope He heals your…
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Kicking Against the Goads

“And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'” Acts 26:14 (ESV) def goad: a spiked stick used for driving cattle. There are times in my life that…
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How to Breathe When Hope Hurts

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 (ESV) Sometimes hope burns and scars a weary soul like acid. I knew God was able, but He wasn’t doing what He was able to do for me. For every wonderful God praising miracle there are many who…
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Discipling: If It Doesn’t Hurt Sometimes You May Not Be Doing It Right

“…my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” Galatians 4:19 (ESV) Childbirth is no joke. Carol Burnett said, “Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over you head.” She is funny, but pretty accurate. To endure natural childbirth women train…
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Remember…When All You Want to Do is Forget

There are certain things I would rather forget. Things I want others to forget. I want to pretend it never happened and move on… Isn’t that what forgiveness is?   Shouldn’t everyone just forgive and forget? Move past my mistakes…and just go on? “Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath…
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How to Keep Serving God After You Blew It…Again

You really blew it. My inner diatribe kept poking at the stained place in my soul. Your words may have hurt more than helped. Others may hear about how hurtful your words were. And you want God to increase your speaking ministry? How can God use the likes of you? Unfortunately I deal with this type of…
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Finding Joy When All Your Wells Run Dry

I did it. I clicked the button labeled “submit.” It was done. Three and a half years of work and my Masters Degree was complete. I imagined this moment for three and half years. I couldn’t wait for it to happen. I just knew I would be elated. But I wasn’t. I was dry and really tired…
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When all You Want is a Name

Piles of dirty dishes surround the kitchen sink and the clutter the counter and litter the island in my kitchen. My dishwasher broke last week and for about three days I did a great job of keeping up with the dishes. Then stuff happened. I got busy and lazy and I injured my foot and…
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Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice Always…Really?

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand Philippians 4:4-5 ESV It is a constant throbbing pain. Some days I “feel” every bone in my ankles, fingers, and wrists. It is exhausting and depressing. So when I come to Philippians 4:4…
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A Battle

A Battle By Angela Mackey They. People I trust and love People I hide from If THEY knew… If they knew what I thought If they realized what I have experienced THEY would call me names… Heretic. Foolish. Liar Progressive. Conservative. Wrong. Or would they? I do not know because I hide.
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Complexity

Complexity By Angela Mackey Yes or No?             It isn’t that simple Yes or No?             Nuance matters Yes or No?             Is it really a dichotomy? Yes or No?             Maybe both… Yes or No?             There is so much more Yes or No?             Can’t there be shades? Greys and beiges maybe even…
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Culpable?

Culpable? by Angela Mackey It happened before A leaving, a void, a rift   I see it. How it happened. Where we have been. Will they listen? Decisions tabled Waiting, flailing, languishing I see it. The coming storm. Will they listen? Do I dare? Bitterness whispers Tearing, ripping, wounding I see it. The anger roiling.…
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Will the Dawn Bring Light?

Will the Dawn Bring Light? By Angela Mackey What violence done? What beauty trampled? …in the darkness …repeated in the dark Hope had bloomed But darkness brought violence Night snuffed the light Would day return? What would be left shame? destruction? Would the light make them see? Could they see …the violence? …the brokenness? …the…
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Is It Just Noise?

Is it Just Noise? by Angela Mackey Go home!             Jezebel!                         Heretic!                                     False Teacher! Liberal!             Conservative!                         Progressive!                                     Fundamentalist!   Words echo through glowing screens. Communication that bites and stings and clings. When I express my thoughts will flesh and blood echo the world of glowing screens? Will I be greeted…
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EnJOYing Election Season: Cultivating Joy in the Chaos

EnJOYing Election Season: Cultivating Joy in the Chaos

“Evangelicals for Harris” are all CHINOS — Christians In Name Only. God is not fooled. Neither should we be fooled. My Social Media feeds are full of vitriol…from both sides of the political divide. “How can any Christian vote for a convicted criminal, rapist, insurrectionist, etc.” And it grieves me. The Bible says that all…
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Art and Beauty: How to Embrace Beauty to Change Culture

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way… things I had no words for.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe Sometimes we forget that God created beauty. At least we evangelicals who value utilitarianism above beauty and art do. We forget that God is the original artist. He paints on canvases…
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A Reason to Go to Church: God’s Presence and Joy

“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much.”  Claudio, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare God does something special when His people come together as a congregation. When we sing, take communion, baptize people, listen to the preaching of God’s Word, His presence comes to us in a special…
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Joy and Presence

Just a note…I have missed sharing this space with you all. So through prayer and planning, my goal is to post here twice a month. I hope you are blessed. Where Joy is Found You [the LORD] reveal the path of life to me;in your presence is abundant joy;at your right hand are eternal pleasures. Psalm…
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