Forgiveness isn’t intended to be a heavy burden for those who have been deeply wronged.  Jesus’ invitation was, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you REST.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  The invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ is to come to Him and find REST for our souls!   Here's the definition of forgiveness: it’s a commitment by the offended to pardon graciously the repentant from moral liability, and to be reconciled — though it doesn’t mean that all consequences are necessarily eliminated.   What’s the hardest part of forgiveness? — To STOP THI ..read more

Forgiveness isn’t intended to be a heavy burden for those who have been deeply wronged.  Jesus’ invitation was, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you REST.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  The invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ is to come to Him and find REST for our souls!   Our culture has fundamentally misunderstood forgiveness — we tend to regard it in a therapeutic way, seeing it as a private coping strategy for resentment and anger.  “Forgiveness is something you do for your own benefit,” some say  — but that’s not biblical forgiveness. &nb ..read more

I’m going to be completely honest, I almost didn’t want to talk about what I’m going to talk about today.   A big reason is because this has been such a hard lesson for me to learn.  It has taken so much for me to let go of this issue and leave it in God's hands.   I have wanted, for many years, to retain control of work and money and material provision when it came to taking care of my family following separation and divorce as a Christian single mom.    But what I have found is that when I have tried, by applying my human wisdom, to almost prayerlessly control my wor ..read more

Six Biblical Truths About Loneliness That Help You Apply Proverbs 3:5-6, And Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart In Separation, Divorce, Or Widowhood: A Devotional For Christian Single Moms   Hey! As I prayed about what to discuss this week, it was strongly on my heart to talk about learning to trust God with our futures, especially a future that may be filled with loneliness due to being single.   I know you’re going to be blessed by being reminded of what God says in his word regarding loneliness, and there are a few related books I’d really like to share with you that have had a ..read more

Hi there! I can’t believe it’s September already. This year is definitely flying by. In honor of this new fall season, where most of us are watching the weather and the landscape start change, and people are getting back to school or homeschooling, we are offering a fall giveaway!  The book bundle that we’re offering is Elisabeth Elliot’s book, Suffering is Never for Nothing, Chris Brauns’ Unpacking Forgiveness— by the way, Pastor Brauns is going to be joining us on the podcast in a few weeks, very excited about that— and the third book is Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop, which we ..read more

What does the Bible say about these people we call “narcissists,” what do they look like, and how can abuse-informed biblical counseling help in a marriage with a narcissistic spouse?   Listen to this episode and learn:   -One of the main things you DON’T see in a narcissistic individual   -One of the biggest signs a woman is in a narcissistic relationship   -Why marriage counseling doesn’t work when you’re married to someone with narcissistic tendencies   More takeaways: We want to be cautious about using the term “narcissism” in the same way secular psychology does f ..read more

Hey friends! The more women I talk to, the more I see who find themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to their marriage.   An imbalance of power and control within a marriage can create constant fear, a sense of walking on eggshells, never knowing what’s going to happen next, and coming to believe that there is something inherently wrong with yourself — because clearly, if your husband is always unhappy with you, frequently angry at what you do, that would be the correct conclusion …. right?    It can be hard to know what’s worse… the perpetual put-downs, the c ..read more

Hey friends!  We’re glad to be back after a brief hiatus. If you’ve ever been, or are currently in an abusive marriage relationship, but you’ve found that the church you’re part of — the church you love! — just doesn’t understand how an imbalance of power can be used to control, coerce, threaten, humiliate, and harm a married woman, you’re not alone.  In fact, in a recent poll in our Facebook community, 85% of respondents indicated they’d experienced domestic abuse within marriage, and most churches aren't equipped to handle it. Our guest today is a biblical counselor who started a m ..read more

What if, in the middle of your suffering, whether that’s the result of widowhood, separation, or divorce — or, to be quite honest, any kind of trial you’re going through — you could make a simple choice, and suddenly feel better emotionally as well as physically? It’s pretty remarkable the way God has made us, and today we’re going to be continuing our conversation from last week with Lauri Hogle, and talking about what exactly happens in our minds, bodies, and spirits as we make the choice to interrupt pain and suffering, through singing to God. Here are just of few of the ways singing aloud ..read more

Even in the middle of the great pain of separation, divorce, or widowhood, you can learn to interrupt your suffering by re-orienting your mind and heart toward the sovereignty of God, by singing His Truth! Today we're talking with Lauri Hogle, PhD, from Singing Christ's Hope.  She tells her story of God's faithfulness + learning to sing through pain, as well as discussing what the Bible has to say about singing (hint: it's not optional - it's God's will for us)!   In this context, singing isn't a performance; it's prayer.  Be encouraged to begin (or cont ..read more