Several years ago, on a snowy, gray November afternoon, I was in the mood for a tearjerker. I searched for “tearjerker movies” on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 2-star film popped up. I must admit that sometimes, I enjoy a good old-fashioned, so-bad-it’s-good movie. The reviews for this particular flick fit the bill. Within ten minutes […]
Emotions
Worship is Not a Spectator Sport
I attended an upscale church for a few years that spent tonnes of money on great sound equipment and lovely surroundings. We had ‘specials’ every Sunday evening sung by highly trained soloists and duos accompanied by dramatic pianists. Beautiful frocks and stylish suits were mandatory attire for the team. We were dazzled by their talent, […]
Forgiveness is Key to Emotional Freedom
“How do we forgive deep hurt? A good piece of advice I can give you is this: Immediately forgive the person who says or does something against you. Then the devil has no chance of letting a shadow remain in your heart.” — Corrie ten Boom Tante Corrie’s wisdom was born out of a lifetime of […]
Carrying a Secret Grudge Against God?
For a long time, I was angry with God. I was resentful, frustrated, and desperate. God let me down and broke my heart, or so I thought. I felt like a broken tool, tossed to the side once I was of no use. God owed me an apology, or so I thought! I disdainfully threw […]
The Masks Were Never Me
I wrote the following piece over 32 years ago when I was in the process of healing from a traumatic childhood. During that process, I identified myself as broken. I believed I had little value in the eyes of God and man. Perhaps God loved me, but I was just one masked anonymous being in […]
God’s Joy Gives Strength, It’s not Just a Feeling
Christian joy is not just a giddy, light-hearted, frothy emotion. No, it’s meatier than that, it has substance. Joy is a bedrock we can build upon. It has endurance; it is strong enough to gird us up through even the darkest of days. Nehemiah 8:10 -“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is […]
Before Your Anger Decides What Happens Next
Finding a safe place for the emotions that threaten to overwhelm us With God, trust falls are a sure thing. He’ll never let us down when we throw ourselves on Him. He can handle anything we dish out. Nothing catches Him off guard. When anger, hurt, and pain overwhelm us and threaten to drown us, […]