Restoring Hearts Blog

“To serve God, to love God, to enjoy God, is the sweetest freedom in the world.” Thomas Watson I’ve experienced a roller coaster of emotions during the pandemic and our time of quarantine. There are days as if nothing has changed and others where I’m fighting against fear, confusion, and sluggishness. First Samuel chapter one describes three ways toward emotional health and well-being. The story line involves a barren woman named Hannah who yearned to give birth to a child. H

“He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust.” Alexander MacLaren We start down the slippery slope to fear by believing a lie about who God is. Fear leads to unbelief which causes us to distrust the Trustworthy One and steers us to sin. There are four steps to shutting the door to fear: 1. Identify the lie. 2. Remember who God is. 3. Replace the lie with the truth. 4. Remind yourself of the truth. As

“Faith looks not at what happens to him, but at Him Whom he believes.” Watchman Nee Fear is one of the by-products of the Coronavirus and our time of self-quarantine. If we understand the root cause of fear, we will be able to choose faith over fear. The Israelites in Deuteronomy 1:27 grumbled to Moses, “The Lord hates us; so He brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.” The Israelites had a wrong perception of God and how He felt tow

“Put everything you have into the care of your heart, for it determines what our life amounts to.” Dallas Willard During times like these, many emotions are floating around. We feel anger, grief, fear, disappointment, frustration, and sadness. Anger and frustration are a result of blocked goals: not being able to do what you want or need to do. The loss of normalcy and the loss of events such as seniors not being with their classmates their final year of high school are disap

“God’s strength in your weakness is His Presence in your life.” Andy Stanley It’s easier doing things you fear together with others rather than going it alone. Before I set forth on facing the fear of completing the daunting book revisions a few friends sat down with John and me. They asked questions, set dead line goals, and put accountability structures and rewards in place. As I began the process, they frequently checked in to see how it was going. They encouraged me with

“Anxiety has its use, stimulating us to seek with keener longing for that security where peace is complete and unassailable.” St. Augustine of Hippo I awoke early with a paralyzing weight of anxiety on me. I realized I needed to leave my comfort zone to fulfill God’s assignments. I wasn’t fully sure of what God wanted, what it would look like and how much time it would require. Anxiety producing thoughts such as these swirled around my mind: Am I able to do what He’s asked me

“Faith is the supreme effort of your life-throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God.” Oswald Chambers At one time or another we will have a battle to fight. Let me suggest we fight our battles with our faith, just as David did when he faced the giant Goliath in I Samuel 17. Goliath defied the armies of the living God and that angered David. The shepherd’s boy faith was fueled and David’s love for God and his mission ignited his passion enough to fight. Davi

“One of the special marks of the Holy Ghost in the Apostolic church was the spirit of boldness.” A.B. Simpson At the beginning of this new year, I’m contending for fear of man to be broken off of me. I want God alone to rule and reign in my life. As a little girl, I stuttered and was shy and fearful to talk to adults. But God has prophetically declared I am bold and brave. That’s who I am in God’s image that I haven’t fully discovered yet. Like other names God has bestowed up

“I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.” Charles Spurgeon A few weeks ago, before I went to Arizona to help care for my mom after her surgery, I struggled with feelings of inadequacy. I questioned if I’d have enough energy or wisdom to give Mom the best care and wondered if I would faithfully and cheerfully meet her daily needs. My inadequacies compelled me to ask my friends to pray. The morning before I flew out, I read Hebrews 13:6a. “So we can s

“Courage faces fear and thereby masters it. Cowardice represses fear and is thereby mastered by it.” Martin Luther King Jr. Fear immobilizes and causes us to disobey God. But for those who put their brave face on, freedom is waiting to embrace them. The things I have feared the most, have become the greatest blessings when I faced them. I fear conflict, trials, failure, and success. And if I had it my way, I’d avoid them or hide from them, which is why I procrastinate. I am s

“When we really understand who God is, we begin to recognize who we are. Revelation about Him leads to revelation about ourselves.” Katherine Ruonala The more I get to know God, the more I realize how little I know about Him. Understanding who God is and His attributes, leads me to understand my identity as His child. In order to live out of that identity, I need to believe those truths within my heart. Then and only then, can I possess my true identity in Christ. For years m

“The good news of suffering is that it brings us to the end of ourselves – a purpose it has certainly served in my life. It brings us to the place of honesty, which is the place of desperation, which is the place of faith, which is the place of freedom.” Tullian Tchividjian In Mark, chapter five, there’s a story about a desperate woman who had suffered with bleeding for twelve years. The woman spent all that she had on doctors, yet became worse. She not only suffered physical

“The only lasting and fully satisfying joys for any man lie on the other side of a cross.” Walter J. Chantry Our son has been known to wrap Christmas gifts in duct tape, or to wrap several smaller boxes within a larger one, all the while keeping us in suspense for the wonderful gift within. The outer wrapping of a gift, has no bearing on what’s inside. The wrapping surrounding some of God’s best gifts, may not be attractive nor enticing to unwrap, such as our move to Wichita.

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” Anthelme Brillat-Savarin – 1826 I read the book “You Are What You Eat” several years ago. The book suggested if we eat good food, then we’ll be healthy. What we ingest has a direct correlation to how well we feel. What we put into ourselves comes out. Like the old computer adage implies, “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” We will become whatever we feast on and put into ourselves. Input affects output. Galatians 6:7b says, “A m

“Courage will follow when faith takes the lead.” Anonymous Reading biographies of courageous men and women inspire me. The Apostle Paul’s faith in what God had promised, gave Paul courage. In Acts chapter 27, the vessel Paul was on was about to be shipwrecked due to a violent storm. In spite of the dire circumstances, Paul urged the sailors to keep up their courage. An angel had visited Paul one night and told him not to be afraid, as he would stand before Caesar one day and

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” J. I. Packer We get to know God by spending time with Him in the Word and by experiencing Him. Before David became King, he faced and fought the giant Goliath. His older brothers and others more mature in the army were too afraid to take up that challenge. Even though David was much younger, he knew who God was experientially. God w

2 “Of all the passions, fear weakens judgment most.” Cardinal de Retz While in college, I lamented over the stress of my classes and couldn’t wait to graduate. But once I landed a full time teaching position and juggled that with my desire to be a good wife, I missed the life of a carefree college student. I was no different than the Israelites in Exodus 14:12 when they fled from their slavery in Egypt and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them in front of the Red Sea. They comp

“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” Anonymous My mom and stepdad are both artists in Arizona and for numerous years they sold their artwork in a Scottsdale gallery. Year after year though, the drama with the owner and their family members bled over into my parents’ lives causing undue stress. My parents were loyal and kept trying to give advice, help, and friendship to the owner and their family, but each year the stress seemed to build. I encouraged my parents

“The chains of love are stronger than the chains of fear.” William Gurnall In 1988, my family moved from Arizona to Chicago, for my husband’s final year of training. I met another mom with young children who also liked to jog. So before our husbands went to work, we would run for a couple of miles, a few times each week. Since I had little experience with snow and ice, I had no idea what black ice was, that is until my feet slipped on it and I did a face plant on the sidewal

“What difference does it make to you what someone else becomes, or says, or does? You do not need to answer for others, only for yourself.” Thomas a Kempis Since responsibility is my number one strength, it’s easy for me to take on what is really other people’s responsibility. And when I do that, worry opens the door to my heart, climbs up on the couch, and makes itself right at home. Recently I found myself fretting over a possible outcome for a loved one’s life. I would w