"A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance."John 10:10 (HCSB) When I was nine years old, we lost our house and all our earthly possessions to a fire. My Grandma McKown had just bought Nicol and me a beautiful bedroom set with canopy beds. We each had a matching desk and shared a large chest of drawers. Our bedroom was … [Read more...] about Death’s Great Violation
grief
Blessed Assurance
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." I Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)I have a new knowledge today that I did not have eight days ago before Luke died. This is a knowledge I never wanted to possess. I find myself thinking thoughts I have thought before, but they always seemed wildly impossible to me. After the events of the last seven weeks, … [Read more...] about Blessed Assurance
Give Me Jesus
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15Rob and I drove home to Nashville last night. I tried a stint at the wheel, but soon had to tell him to take over because I couldn't keep my eyes open from exhaustion. The day's events kept playing in my mind, the most horrific day I have ever experienced. We said our earthly good-bye to our precious Lukey yesterday. We … [Read more...] about Give Me Jesus
When God Cries
"You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle--are they not in Your book?" Psalm 56:8 (AMP)My family is in deep mourning. My brothers and I were talking yesterday about how sad it is that it takes a funeral to bring us all together anymore. Life is so busy, so complicated, with never-ending details to take care of. Or so it seems. A phone call last Tuesday night had the power … [Read more...] about When God Cries
The Pain of God’s Goodness
“Behold, a king will reign righteously ... like a refuge from the wind, and a shelter from the storm ...” Is 32:1-2 What does the goodness of God look like? Last Thanksgiving, my three sisters, one biological and two by marriage, were expecting babies. Jackson, a healthy baby boy, was born first to my sister-in-law, Molly, in December. In January, we learned that our baby girl, Audrey Caroline, … [Read more...] about The Pain of God’s Goodness
All That Concerns Me
"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever--forsake not the work of Your own hands." Psalm 138:8What do we do when tragedy strikes us from out of nowhere? Often the tragedy follows some incredible event, a mountain-top experience with God. The shock we feel from the sudden change of our circumstances can leave us utterly confused and … [Read more...] about All That Concerns Me
