Restoring Hearts Blog

“From dark clouds we get precious water. From dark mines we get valuable jewels. And from our darkest trials come our best blessings from God.” Unknown Imagine with me – it’s Christmas morning and you’re up early with excitement, full of anticipation. You can’t wait for your child to unwrap the gift you’ve picked out just for them. It has their name written all over it, tailored made to fulfill their dreams and desires. But instead of tearing the wrapping paper off their pres

“As we stay rooted in God’s Word, we will grow, blossom, and bear fruit wherever we are.” Cheri Fuller Living in Arizona over half of my life has made me appreciate and ponder how cacti survive the summer heat with the lack of rain. Likewise, how can we endure droughts during the dry seasons or trials in our lives? The solution is to develop a root system. The Saguaro cactus has a very shallow root system and one deep tap root that extends down into the ground as tall as the

“The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance.” Oswald Chambers My friend, Mindy, says “God is in the details,” and how right she is. I have seen God take the puzzle pieces of trials and blessings and perfectly fit them together to make a beautiful destiny. I don’t like waiting rooms in life, whether it’s when a loved one is having a surgery, or when it seems God has hidden me from ministry. Waiting rooms, th

“He wants us to know Him so intimately that we recognize Him with our spirits, even when He doesn’t make sense – and even offends our natural minds.” Kristen M. Smeltzer Last week I wrote about my struggle with God not meeting my expectations. To my natural mind, it didn’t make sense for us to move us to Wichita and start all over in our early sixties. Even when you are obeying God, life doesn’t always turn out like we expect. Herod imprisoned John the Baptist and in Matthew

“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

“The diamond cannot be polished without friction, nor the man perfected without trials.” Anonymous One of the best ways I learn, is by watching others walk through life. I am grateful for the godly group of women with whom I pray with. Observing their lives during adversity has taught me how to handle trials. And likewise, the psalmist David, instructs me in Psalm 13 on what to do when hard times come. David does not live in denial of his tribulation, nor does he ignore his e

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” Shauna Niequist Life is bittersweet. It’s full of bitter moments and sweet ones. The bitter instances make the sweet ones sweeter. Harsh experiences in life give us greater appreciation for the blessings we receive. If our lives were always easy, where everything seems to go the way we want it to go, then we’d most likely take it for granted and be less grateful. Proverbs 30:8-

“We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what’s wrong in your life, or you can focus on what’s right.” Marianne Williamson The scene in II Chronicles, chapter twenty, did not paint a pretty picture for King Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah. A vast army made up of Moabites, Ammonites along with some of the Meunites, prepared to attack Judah. Their predicament seemed hopeless. How do you handle life’s pressure cooker events? You know, those tri

“God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst…will be quiet in the midst of alarm.” F. B. Meyer As a sensitive little girl, hurtful comments at the dinner table would send me running to my room crying. Today I still don’t like conflict and will avoid it at all costs, not wanting my feelings to be hurt, nor desiring to hurt others. I have a tendency to avoid fear, to push down my anxieties to the pit of my heart. But like balls pushed d

“Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things.” Henry Ward Beecher The simplest statements are often the most profound. Several years ago the opening sentence of M. Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Traveled, stunned me. All he simply wrote was, “Life is difficult.” That one 3 word sentence was my personal take away from his book. It was profound to me because up to that time I had believed the myth that the Christian life was supposed to be eas