If They Hurt Me, Why Should I Repent?

"Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. "Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands -- if I …

12 Things I’ve Learned about Forgiveness

As I’m preparing for our inner healing retreat next week, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned through the process of inner healing. God has taken me through this transformation process for 12 years (and continuing). Each day I continue to grow and change because of what Jesus is doing in my heart. I am …

Will the Real Me Please Stand Up?

All my life, I have struggled with being a doormat. For a long time, I thought that's what I should be. No one really explained that things could (or should) be different. I passively accepted whatever came my way. I thought that was the way I was supposed to live. As you can imagine, things …

Jesus Brings Freedom from Identity Theft

We have an identity thief roaming among us. He is the enemy of our souls. From the moment we are conceived, his goal is to thwart God's amazing plan for us. This identity thief wants to keep us from stepping into our true identity in Christ. Don't be discouraged. The Bible and the Holy Spirit …

Jesus. Brings. Life.

Jesus says: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10 NIV) "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will …

Let the Daily Journey of Transformation Begin

I am immersed right now in editing the book of an inner healing teacher and spiritual coach. As I work through (and live) the words of this book, I am reminded of why inner healing is an ongoing, even daily process - the dying to self daily of 1 Corinthians 15:31. I have worked with …

A Gift of Authority

I serve on a jail ministry team. Each week, we lead church at the jail. When I started with that team eight years ago, I was just beginning to heal from a lifetime of “fear of authority.” So of course, God sent me to serve at the jail, under the authority of the sheriff’s office …

What Blocks Your Hearing from God?

“Do you have cotton in your ears?” I remember my grandmother saying this whenever she thought we kids weren’t listening. Sometimes I feel that way with God – that He knows I’m missing most of what He says. Why? What Blocked Our Listening When We Were Kids? Think about what it was like as a …

Big Reactions from Little Wounds

When I was a kid, I participated in the Girl Scouts. Our troop leader was amazing. She was a Catholic nun, but not stereotypical. In exchange for taking care of the Girl Scouts, she was allowed to have a van, camping equipment, and lots of other privileges. She was wild and crazy, and we all …

A “Tail” of Two Rodents: Gauging My Progress with Trauma Healing

At Christmas, I was out of town spending time with family. When I returned home, I discovered a rodent had taken up residence in my apartment. Granted, I live over the garage of a log cabin on a wooded farm. Rodents happen. I get that. But now I had a rodent claiming squatter’s rights. It …