Restoring Hearts Blog

“Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people.” Oswald Chambers A few weeks ago, I meditated on the calling of the first disciples in Luke 5:1-11. Here are some of the principles I learned from that passage of what it means to follow Jesus. When we’re followers of Jesus, we do what He asks us to do and we obey even when it may not make sense. In verse four, Jesus asks Simon to let down their nets in deep water. And though Simon

“God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine.” Francis Chan Families who take road trips this summer will inevitably hear, “Are we there yet? When will we arrive?” I’ve been on my writing-a-manuscript road trip with God and yes, He’s heard me ask similar questions. One thing I’ve repeatedly had to learn is God’s timing is impeccable: “absolutely correct” and “beyond criticism.” While at lunch with a friend, I bemoaned the delays in taking my manuscript a

“Faith is nothing at all tangible. It is simply believing God; and, like sight, it is nothing apart from its object.” Hannah Whitall Smith John and I recently reflected on how God has rescued us in the past from situations that imploded. In God’s kindness, our heavenly Father removed us from circumstances prior to their falling apart. God not only did this to protect us, but to preserve our hearts from taking up offense. It was a way our Father kept our hearts pure. Our refle

“I sometimes think that the very essence of the whole Christian position and the secret of a successful spiritual life is just to realize two things…I must have complete, absolute confidence in God and no confidence in myself.” David Lloyd-Jones Last week I wrote about misunderstanding the meanings of authority and confidence. I used to think authority was synonymous with control and confidence was the same as pride. And because of that, I wanted nothing to do with them. But

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom I have never been more grateful for the traffic in Wichita as I was a few weeks ago, while driving a rental car out of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, during rush hour traffic. I kept praying my daughter and I wouldn’t be in an accident. God on the other hand kept saying, “Look at what I can do for you! I can provide the strength, wisdom, and courage that you need and I will show Myself to you as

“God sees us as we are, loves us as we are, and accepts us as we are. But by His grace, He does not leave us as we are.” Tim Keller God has given me such grace for this time of transition. I’m not in any rush to discover why He sent us to Wichita, or where we best fit for His purposes. There is a level of peace and contentment within that can only be His doing. And yet, while waiting to see what God has up His sleeve for me, I’ve seen His faithfulness to answer prayer and ful

“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

“The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us.” Oswald Chambers The past two weeks’ posts have been about Asa, the King of Judah, and his seven steps to fighting battles (II Chronicles 14:11). Prior to the victory over the Cushites and afterward, Asa relied on God and showed his faithfulness by removing foreign altars and the high places, smashing sacred stones and cutting down the Asherah poles. As a result

“Honesty gives others the freedom to be honest as well, opening up the possibility of deeper connection and friendship.” Shauna Niequist After church a friend came up to me and expressed her appreciation for my vulnerability in my blog posts and how that makes people trust me. She was inspired by my cancer diagnosis post titled “Game On.” I told her how recently God has asked me to go deeper in sharing my heart and His heart with my blog audience. He wants me to leave the sh

“Trusting means drawing on the inexhaustible resources of God.” Anonymous I want to thank my friends who have come alongside of my family during this time of cancer. Your kindness expressed through prayers, encouraging words, cards, flowers, and meals have meant more than you know. Our family has seen the face of Jesus and felt His love for us through you. Instead of experiencing isolation from wearing the label of cancer, my family experienced community as the Body of Chris

“Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence.” St. Augustine of Hippo While reading Daniel chapter 6, the story about Daniel being thrown in the lions’ den, the Holy Spirit highlighted the last half of verse 23: “…no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” The angel of God closed the lions’ mouths so that no physical harm was done to Daniel. Since my passion is heart restoration, I began to ponder how trusti

“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.” St. Augustine of Hippo With the holidays right around the corner, our hearts may start singing, “Tis the season to be anxious, Fa-la-la-la-la.” I become stressed when the calendar fills up with too many commitments and I plummet into despair when I can’t fulfill my responsibilities. Some time last summer, my anxiety level climbed to the top of my meter. I can’t even remember what I

“He is most available to those who are most available to Him.” Jack Deere I’ve learned the best way to communicate with a child is to get down on their level and look them square in the eyes. It’s all about positioning. Positioning is also essential when it comes to hearing God’s voice. I’m not talking about our posture, but the attitudes of our heart. God loves it when we have childlike faith and complete trust that He will speak. Jesus in Matthew 11:25 said, “I praise you,

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” Samuel Johnson This summer while visiting Banff, Alberta, Canada, we went on a hike up the Valley of the Ten Peaks with our cycling group. Right from the get go I was huffing and puffing. Between the altitude and the steep climb, I wondered if I had made a mistake. I thought maybe I didn’t have what it took to make the climb. I pondered turning back and retreating to our room at the Moraine Lake Lodge. I wanted

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom My husband and I have been cycling up hilly terrain in preparation for our Canadian Rocky Mountain bike tour this Sunday. In order to make cycling a bit easier I will get up really close to his back tire so I can draft off of him. When I do that I can’t see anything ahead, therefore I need to trust my husband’s eyes to see potential danger. I blindly trust his judgment in order to have a more enjoyab

“I cannot be the man I should be without times of quietness. Stillness is an essential part of growing deeper.” Charles R. Swindoll The other day I told God, “I’ve missed You!” It’s not that I haven’t been in the Word or prayer, but due to either busyness or rain, I have not sat still before the Lord on our deck, waiting to hear His voice. My soul is replenished when I take time to be still with God outside, listening to the leaves rustle, birds chirp and the melodic sounds o

“If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.” Oswald Chambers The other day God was encouraging me to choose what is difficult, to avoid the easy road and to push myself. God knows that in my flesh I’m lazy. I want things to come easy and not be difficult. I don’t typically look challenges in the eye and say, “Bring it on!” Hard work is not my knee-jerk response and I’m never thrilled about perseve

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall enjoy everything.” Saint Francis of Assisi In 1981 I asked a friend who had just completed his medical residency for any tips on surviving John’s upcoming surgical internship. Without hesitation he said, “Have no expectations.” He went on to describe the possible scenario of John calling to say he was heading home, only to be paged right back to the ER. That one piece of advice has not only helped me on numerous occasions when

“Things are out of control because you are in control. God is asking us to yield completely so He can surround us with His protection and care.” Lisa Bevere A few months ago I discovered what happens when you’re 30,000 feet up in the air and your body decides it wants to pass out in response to feeling nauseated. I can say I was definitely not in control of that situation! Fortunately though, God was. The root of control is fear. When we struggle with insecurity, we do whatev

“There is never an act of faith without risk.” Eric James Two years ago, in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary, my husband and I visited Costa Rica. One of the highlights of our trip was the Manuel Antonio canopy zip line tour. Did I mention I have a slight fear of heights? Initially my fear was so great I couldn’t look down and kept my eyes focused on the platform ahead. Gradually I became more comfortable, able to look down and around at the beautiful surroundings