Author Archives: Dawn413

“I lift my eyes to you, the one enthroned in heaven.” — Psalm 123:1 God impressed upon my heart the question, “What are you beholding?” Desperately, I wanted the response to be, “You, Lord, of course.” Yet in my soul I was aware of the stirrings of discontentment and restlessness. Sometimes, the greatest barrier toContinue reading “Beholding”

“After his anguish,he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. Therefore, I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet heContinue reading “Holy Week”

“Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me–nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’” — Luke 22:41-42 Lessons in life can feel formidable. Lessons in faith and trusting God, all the more so. As is HisContinue reading “Not My Will”

“The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I willContinue reading “Faith that Follows”

“He put on righteousness as a body armor, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and he wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” — Isaiah 59:17 Do you ever wish you could just live in a cocoon and be protected from the world for aContinue reading “The Armor of Right Living”

“Show me a sign of your favor.” –Psalm 86:17 The end of a year beckons us to pause and reflect. Reflection has become a last art in our culture. We rush through life at the speed of light, leaving little room for reflection, silence, and, ultimately, a space for God to speak and us toContinue reading “The Favor of God”

“Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O LORD, help and comfort me.”–Psalm 86:17 I like organization. I like things to be neatly placed and organized in such a way that makes the most sense. This helps to locate things and remember whereContinue reading “A Boxed-In God”

“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15 How can I ever grasp what it means to follow Jesus in true discipleship? I see the examples from Scripture. I read and learn of the stories of Paul, of Peter, of Mary Magdalene, ofContinue reading “Missing the Mission”

“He redeemed them because of his love and compassion; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of the past.” Isaiah 63:9b Why does accepting God’s free gift of love, grace, and salvation oftentimes seem too simplistic and too easy? We feel as though we must earn it, and since we cannot, then,Continue reading “Pathways Through the Past”

“When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and told Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!’” –John 11:32 William Shakespeare once said, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” Somehow, I, too, unknowingly adopted the mindset of “no expectations, no disappointments.”Continue reading “Our Expectations of Jesus”