Joyful Refuge

  • God Uses Yes

    God wants us to say yes to Him. To fully submit to Him. Think of Mary saying yes to the strange message of the angel. she said yes even knowing others would not understand and there would be shame and gossip before she would see the fruit of her yes. Luke 1:38 [38] And Mary…

  • Encourage Yourself in the Lord

    This year my chronic health issues have increased after a mild case of COVID in early September. This resulted in my being home and isolated much more for last six months. After numerous treatments, including one in mid January that finally helped me significantly, I was so weak and had lost so much muscle strength…

  • Changing Question Marks Into Exclamation Marks

    “I can now look back and see so many of the question marks yanked into exclamation points in my life. I am so thankful that He said “no” to so many of the prayers I desperately wanted Him to answer with “yes.” – Mary Southerland This quote really spoke to me today. As I pondered…

  • Where the Red Sea Parts

    I met a new friend, who Gail, in recent months who relocated from several states away. She and her husband attend my church and have joined our small group. Gail has multiple health issues going on yet exudes such joy and as faith and obviously lives in such a way that you know she finds…

  • Three Ways I Live with Chronic Illness

    I was wondering how faith helps others to deal with chronic disease. My counselor recently shared a letter with me from an older woman who has dealt with health issues all her life. While very encouraging, I realized many of my things that helped me are different than hers. My top three are: 1. Practicing…

  • My Refuge from the Storms of Life

    2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. – Psalm 57:1-2  Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. Every time…

  • Pretending to be Normal

    My life in recent years has changed greatly due to multiple chronic illnesses taking up residence in my body. My brain and emotions still feel normal even though my body doesn’t always respond. I was recently asked in early December if I would like to host a dinner party in our home in appreciation of…

  • The Choice

    Sometimes God makes His path so clear, even when the path goes through rough terrains we would rather not travel. God was so kind to give me a vivid illustration of the results of the choices before me when I was in the midst of being diagnosed with chronic illnesses. My health began tanking in 2009…

  • Finding Purpose in Suffering – Part 1

    Finding Purpose in Suffering – Part 1

    This blog post is my biggest take away from the women’s conference I attended in Colorado Springs last weekend where Nancy Guthrie was the speaker. I only was able to attend Saturday and each of those sessions were grounded in the Word of God and both convicted and encouraged. The last session “Trusting God with…

  • Overcoming Fear through God’s Word.

    Overcoming Fear through God’s Word.

    A couple years ago, my husband was on yet another business trip while I was home alone on a very windy night. The howling wind that knocks a stray plastic flowerpot against the house or causes the welcome sign to clatter against the siding turning it into intruders with sinister intent. The single chirp of…