Jennifer Slattery

Jennifer Slattery is a multi-published writer, podcast host, speaker and speaking coach, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She's addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and writers across the nation. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com or follow her on Instagram at slatteryjennifer and on Facebook at Jennifer Slattery - Author and Speaker

concerns with ‘This Too Shall Pass’

by Jennifer Slattery on April 25, 2024April 24, 2024

Some phrases spoken in hard circumstances remind us of comforting truth. But when we use those same statements to numb our emotions, we’re apt to get stuck in our pain and circumstances. The cliché Kathy discusses below is one of those well-intended, but at times, ineffective, lines.

Biblical Concerns with ‘This Too Shall Pass’

by Kathy Collard Miller

Have you ever considered a trials and found comfort in thinking, “This too will pass”?

That phrase may sound benign enough, but I’m wondering if it leaves out God in some way. Because, at least for me, it supports in my heart an attitude of, “I’ll just grin and bear it until this trial goes away.” It doesn’t support James 1:2-4: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (ESV*).

See if the following ideas support the truth of James 1: 2-4:

1. Recognize how “grin and bear it” leaves out God. I became aware of how I was leaving out God with that attitude years ago. As I struggled to trust God for his provision of joy and contentment in the midst of being my mother-in-law’s caregiver, I often mentally recited, “This too will pass.” And then on the heels of that thought came, “If I just knew how much longer Audrey was going to live, I could be more patient and kind.” I was thinking I could be more patient because I would be gritting my teeth, just waiting for the trial to end. But that’s not depending upon God.

2. Choose active joy, not passivity. “This too will pass” is very passive. It allows circumstances to dictate our responses, rather than looking to God for our joy.

James 1: 2-4 contains active and “being aware” words, not closing our eyes to God’s help. Being active is when we pay attention to the purposes of difficulties. Problems can become God’s vehicle to growth. That can’t happen if we’re closing our eyes to what God wants to do.

3. Be aware moment by moment. In the midst of caring for my mother-in-law, I examined that phrase, “This too will pass,” more deeply. I saw that I wasn’t living in real time but in the future when things were guaranteed to get better. But there’s no guarantee life will get better. Life doesn’t become perfect until we enter heaven. Each moment and day of our lives is an opportunity to see God’s love strengthen us.

No wonder God doesn’t tell us the future. If we knew a trial was going to last a long time, we’d give up. If we knew a trial was going to be short-lived, we would grin and bear it. We’re supposed to relax in God’s power moment by moment, depending upon Him, allowing him to provide all we need. And then He’ll receive the glory, not us.

Those three truths began to transform my thinking. No longer was I depending upon my limited knowledge and my strategy of passivity, but I was seeking God more passionately and seeing his hand of provision. I became more patient with my mother-in-law and saw how God was doing a work in me.

When my mom-in-law departed for heaven, I knew I hadn’t been perfect, but I knew God had transformed my life in the now, not just in “the sweet by and by.” That was affirmed when a short time later I became the main caregiver for my own mother. God took what He’d taught me and applied it to this new challenge. God never wastes anything; but we won’t see that if we’re just grinning and bearing it.

Get to know Kathy Collard Miller

About the author: Kathy Collard Miller loves to help women trust God more through her 60 books and her speaking in over 30 states and 9 foreign countries. She is the author of the “Daughters of the King Bible Study Series” including, God’s Heart for Your Marriage, appropriate for individual, couple, and group study. Kathy and her husband, Larry, who married in 1970, live in Boise, Idaho, and are parents of 2 and grandparents of 2.

Scripture taken from *The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

We all have seasons of our lives where we wonder if we have purpose and fear we're aimlessly roaming about without clear direction. In those periods, God may seem silent or His direction unclear. This can create intense anxiety and discouragement. But God always has a plan, is always leading us toward His very best, and is always equipping us for the journey that's still ahead. Listen to hear how He did this in King David's life, and in host Carol McCracken's as well. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.) Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group Discussion/Reflective Questions: What resonated with you most in this episode? How would you describe a wilderness season? What do you feel makes wilderness seasons so challenging? How can wilderness seasons deepen our faith? How might reflecting upon God's heart, power, character and promises help us endure wilderness seasons? Why is it important to live with integrity in every season? What is one action step God might be askign you to take, having listened to this episode? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Finding Purpose in Wilderness seasons

by Jennifer Slattery on April 18, 2024April 17, 2024

(This post was proofed by Aneah Epshteyn.)

When our daughter was young, a series of moves and transitions left me feeling shelved. As if God had set me aside, potentially, never to use me again. Looking back, I see now that much of my angst came from a false identity and narrow thinking. Prior to this, my husband and I had become heavily involved in a close-knit, southern California church where we found numerous fulfilling ways to serve. As a new homeschool mom, I’d also connected with a thriving community that offered park days, Coops, group field trips, and plenty of extra-curricular activities to keep my daughter socialized and entertained.

I greatly enjoyed all these endeavors, and unknowingly, began forming my identity around them. As a result, when, midway through a series of moves, I found myself in a new state (the third in less than a year) and an inner-city rent-by-the-month apartment, not knowing where our family would finally land, I felt unimportant, uncertain, and unseen.

Initially, I felt disillusioned. But then, sitting in that dingy, run-down apartment, with numerous deadbolts securing our door, I sensed God speaking to my heart, calling me to live for Him, in that place. To shift my focus off my unmet expectations and disappointments and to remain alert each day for ways to share His love and expand His kingdom.

I reflected upon this initially painful, but ultimately fruitful time, while reading through 1 Samuel—the biblical account of a failed ruler named Saul and an emerging leader named David. To paraphrase, initially selected and empowered by God, Saul let fear drive him to disobedience, and ultimately, lost his position to David.

Prior, however, David endured a long, tiring, and discouraging wilderness season during which he probably battled doubt and disillusionment. Yet, notice what Scripture says in 1 Samuel 22:1-2: “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. ²All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.”

At this time, Saul still maintained control of the royal army. While David led a group of distressed and poor “misfits”—according to human perspective. People who were probably accustomed to experiencing rejection from those who deemed them unimportant. Men in whom God called David to invest—in his wilderness season.

Because God always has a purpose for us to fulfill and people in which to invest—whether we’re standing on a platform proclaiming biblical truths, sitting behind a desk in a second-grade classroom, or showing a grocery store cashier the kindness of Christ. Although at times we might feel set aside, Scripture assures us, God has prepared glorious, soul-fulfilling tasks for us to accomplish in this season.

Let’s talk about this. How might God want to use in your current seasons (or how is He using you in this seasons)?

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

When God Speaks––Where Obedience Can Lead

by Jennifer Slattery on April 12, 2024April 11, 2024

(This first published on July 11, 2020.)

Before we launch into today’s post, I wanted to invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Find it HERE. And thank you so much for your support!

***

We’ve all sensed God nudging us to do something that appeared to make no sense. Maybe we sensed Him to pray for a stranger, speak certain words to a friend, or step into an area that you feel countless others in your circle would be more qualified for.

How do you respond in those situations? When you sense that nudge into the unknown, what fears most often hold you back? That you’ll fail? That you’ll embarrass yourself? That you’ll be misjudged or misunderstood? That you’ve heard God wrong and therefore will be venturing forward alone?

Years ago, after Wholly Loved’s first women’s conference, a woman approached me. Standing in that busy and noisy atrium, though I struggled to understand her words, her eyes and voice carried an unmistakable intensity. God had gripped her heart that day and planted within her the first seeds of her assignment. He wanted her to speak for Him.

But here’s the thing. At the time, she could barely speak. She’d suffered two back-to-back strokes less than a year prior, strokes that should’ve taken her life but instead, stole her mobility and her speech. By the time of the conference, she’d relearned how to walk, but was in the midst of retraining her brain to talk. As a result, she stammered and stuttered significantly through each sentence.

God was calling this woman, who could barely get her words out that afternoon, to stand on a stage and speak for Him. Can you imagine the inner angst, the wrestling, the questions that must’ve swirled through her brain as she sat in the audience, sensing God’s call? Maybe even fighting His call? The call to speak in general, but also the call to speak to me that day? Even if she was convinced, without a doubt, that God was asking her to do both, she had to worry how I might respond. At least, I would’ve. And then, assuming I got up and began to put feet to His call, I worry I would’ve talked myself out of obedience with every step I took.

But not Sarah Conaway, tri-founder of Stromies, a ministry to stroke survivors. She rose on her less-than-steady legs, navigated around the throng of women gathering in the atrium, waited in line to talk to me, and then looked me in the eye and boldly said, “I want to do what you do.” She wanted to share her story, to proclaim, to whomever would listen, all that God had done.

The woman who was struggling to speak and likely had moments when she wondered if she’d be able to do so coherently ever again, wanted to publicly speak for Jesus.

That was less than five years, and God has done amazing things during that time. Sarah is indeed speaking for Him. Her story has quite literally reached across the globe. Her ministry has nearly 2,500 Instagram followers and 1,300 followers on Facebook. She’s spoken at Rotary, Kiwanis clubs, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, was interviewed on her local Channel 3 station, and has spoken to numerous support groups.

And all because, even when obedience made no sense, she told God yes.

What’s God asking you to do? What’s hindering your obedience? Give those fears, all of them, to God. Give Him all your doubts, then, after you’ve done so, give Him your obedience. Your surrender, trusting your faithful, loving God to lead you to His very best.

Visit Sarah’s ministry HERE and find Stromies on Facebook HERE. Watch for Jennifer Slattery’s upcoming Thriving With Chronic Illness to hear her full story and how God’s using her. If you’re sensing a nudge from God but are struggling to find the courage to move forward, make sure to listen to Jennifer’s Faith Over Fear Episode on fighting fear of failure. You can find it HERE.

For those looking for perfect, timeless Father’s Day gifts, read her latest article on iBelieve HERE.

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

Loneliness, Singleness, and Longing for Roses

by Jennifer Slattery on April 4, 2024April 4, 2024

What happens when we never experience the relationship for which we’ve longed and prayed? Or when, after decades of marriage, the relationship fails and we find ourselves alone, feeling a deepening ache of loneliness? If you find yourself in that hard, painful place, may God speak encouragement to your soul through my guest’s post.

What About Loneliness? Who Will Bring Me Roses

by Sandra Aldrich

As I entered my second year of singlehood, well-meaning friends asked me when I’d get married again. I laughingly answered I wouldn’t think about that until somebody showed up with a dozen roses. Then I changed the subject.

That evening as I mentally replayed the conversation, knowing I often veil the truth with my humor, I asked myself a tough question: Would I really be attracted to the first guy who handed me roses? As I admitted he at least would get my attention, I made an important decision: I would plant my own garden.

The next morning, I was at our local gardening shop loading my car trunk with rose bushes and bags of peat moss. For the next several months, I pruned and sprayed—and kept fresh roses throughout the house, quietly marveling at the satisfaction I gained from fragrant blooms.

Slowly I began to “plant my own garden” in other areas of my life as well, even taking steps toward a new career in editing and public speaking. If I had waited for someone else to bring me roses, and supposedly rescue me from my single state, I would have missed the incredible path my life has taken the past several years.

Hear me: This is not a soapbox speech for forever singleness. It’s an encouragement for you to seek the Lord’s direction rather than giving in to a desperate insistence for rescue. If you want to remarry and be part of a new family, go for it. But let the Lord heal you first rather than waiting for someone to show up with life’s “roses.”

Admittedly, I made a tough choice when I decided to put all thoughts of remarriage on hold. And although it is not the choice every single mother will—or should—make, I know it was the right one for me.

My decision not to rush into another marriage allowed me learn more about the Lord and more about myself. After all, I had been Mitch’s daughter, Don’s wife, Jay’s and Holly’s mother; I wanted to find Sandra Aldrich. And I did. Oh, she’s feisty and has a tendency to shoot from the lip too much, but she’s funny and strong and occasionally even wise. And I never would have found her if I’d thrown myself into another relationship in those early days of single parenting.

I genuinely believe my life never would have turned out this way if I had settled for what my extended family and even society expected instead of what God wanted to give me. And I believe God wanted to give me more of Himself, not another husband.

I also was convinced the Lord was preparing me for another career, and I felt sure a second husband would just talk me into going back to teach in the high school classroom.

Still, women in my Appalachian culture are expected to remarry, so I had to reason with aunts or cousins who made comments at every family gathering. To keep from saying what I was thinking, “That’s none of your business,” I’d mentally quote Proverbs 15:1—“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” But I still was irritated by the constant and often rude inquiries.

My friend Rose finally helped me break out of that anger trap when she said, “You’re giving everyone too much credit when you think they really care about your decisions. They don’t; they’re too involved in their own problems.”

I laughed, decided she was right and promptly stopped worrying over the comments about remarriage. Amazingly, as I stopped arguing about my chosen status, the relatives gradually found more interesting things to talk about.

A friend even said she admired the fact I was taking charge of my life rather than merely reacting to everything. Then she leaned toward me. “But don’t put God and His future for you in a little box.”

I thought about that for several days and then prayed, “Lord, you know I want only what you want. But if I can have my druthers, I’d druther remain single. All I need are friends who will smile when I come into a room.”

Now that I’m past those early scary days of single parenting, do I regret my decision? Not for a minute.

Get to Know Sandra Aldrich:

Sandra P. Aldrich is an inspirational speaker and author or co-author of 27 books, including Appalachian novels in the Zetta series and Bless Your Socks Off: Embracing the Power of Encouragement. Widowed by brain cancer and left to raise a ten-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter alone, Sandra faced unwelcome challenges with intense faith. And occasional stubbornness.

Check out her book, Bless Your Socks Off: Unleashing the Power of Encouragement:

Bless Your Socks Off heralds the amazing benefits of encouragement and illustrates how a few kind words can add fulfillment and joy to an ordinary life. Encouraging words have the power to lift spirits, soothe emotions, restore relationships, heal bodies, and even change lives.

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

When Life Feels Gloomy: Holding Tight to the promise of spring

by Jennifer Slattery on March 28, 2024March 28, 2024

(Today’s post was proofread by Aneah Epshteyn)

I never fully appreciated the beauty and hope of spring until I’d experienced my first mid-western winter. I can easily bear it when the weather first turns cold, skies darken, temperatures drop, and wind turns brisk. I can even admire that first covering of snow, with its innumerable tiny ice crystals glimmering in the early morning sun like glitter spread across the otherwise bleak landscape.

By February, however, I find it harder to fight against the blanket of gloom invading my space. And, today is March. Wind howls outside my office window, and I can barely see the sun hiding behind a mass of wool-like gray. But then comes the promise, spoken by my husband—vacation is coming! And suddenly, the chill feels a bit more bearable, the wind more muted, and the glow behind the clouds brighter, somehow. More sunshine is certain to prevail.

Hope is a beautiful, soul-bolstering thing able to speak strength into the weariest hearts. Perhaps this is why, during one particularly painful season, God drew me to His promise, recorded in Isaiah 55:12-13, which states:

“You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
¹³Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever” (NIV).

He first spoke these words to the people of Judah, prior to what scholars refer to as the Babylonian captivity—a time when the ancient Israelites would see their sacred temple and beloved homeland destroyed, and they and their families carted off to a foreign land.

Seemingly forgotten. Abandoned to their long, cold winter.

But through the words of Isaiah, God promised that spring was indeed coming. One day, they would go out in joy and He Himself would lead them in peace. Where once destruction in the form of thornbushes, they would now find thriving trees with purple berries. In place of prickly briers, delicate white flowers would greet them.

Why? Because the people of Judah were the Lord’s renown, His chosen children, His beloved, and He would once again plant a song of praise in their hearts.

Jesus reiterated this promise in John 10:10 when He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV).

These words remind me of the phrase, “led forth,” in Isaiah, and the importance of seeking, wholeheartedly after God—in pleasant seasons and in pain. Knowing a thief lurks about, whispering lies in our ears, tempting us to believe the dark clouds hovering above us will never lift.

Tempting us to abandon hope.

To give in to despair.

Yet, deep in our weary hearts, may we listen for another voice—the words of our loving and gentle Savior, urging us to keep watch for spring.

On a practical note, the harder one’s current season, the more important it is to reflect upon and create things to look forward. Reflect–on promises of God’s goodness and faithfulness and on gifts, such as special relationships, He’s already provided. Create-intentionally schedule pleasant activities into your day or week. If your current gloom feels so heavy, nothing seems pleasant, intentionally schedule activities that once felt pleasurable. And, find ways to laugh, whenever and however you can. (Clean comedy clips on YouTube can help wiith that.)

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

The Freedom We might Resist But Desperately Need

by Jennifer Slattery on March 21, 2024March 21, 2024

Not long ago, a young adult I mentored said, “I’m not like you. I hold grudges.” The statement took me aback as I could easily remember months and even years when I allowed bitterness from a previous wound steal my joy, my peace, and at times, my sleep. While I was thankful to think that I’d grown in this area, it still doesn’t come without a struggle. The deeper my hurt, the harder it is to forgive. I find it easier, however, when I reflect upon the inner angst my Savior is calling me from and the increased joy and peace He is calling me to.

If you can relate, you might find encouragement in Maureen Miller’s thoughts below.

Freedom in Forgiveness

by Maureen Miller

Sometimes God won’t leave well enough alone.

It hadn’t been a week since I’d been wronged. The little girl named Kristie who we’d grown to love, who’d been part of our family for more than a year, was taken away without warning on a hot August afternoon in 2008—her grandmother having changed her mind on the adoption placement we’d thought was part of God’s plan.

Our girl gone, I sat in the ash heap of my broken heart, vacillating between bitterness and deep sadness. It was then that God began meddling with my emotions, though I wanted to wallow in self-pity awhile longer, thank you very much.

“Forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” He whispered.

“But I’ve never done something so hurtful,” came my reply. “How could she?”

“First, don’t be so sure,” I heard Him say a little more loudly. After all, He’s all about leading us to humility, and my self-righteous response was a tad too haughty. And as if that wasn’t enough, God continued, “Furthermore, you’re failing to see that she loves her too.”

Truth is, I was blinded by pain, not to mention I had a tight grip on my grudge, much like a child might cling to a security blanket, as though my vice hold on hot anger brought justification.

“Can’t You see what her wrong has done to me?”

And then, on that day, the day God wouldn’t leave well enough alone, He simply repeated Himself for emphasis–

“Forgive as you’ve been forgiven.”

Blast! He was serious. So I turned to Scripture, thinking perhaps I’d find a small-print clause, anything that allowed me to stand my ground a bit longer. Surely strong-willed Peter or perseverant Paul had something to say to justify my resentment, perhaps buy me more time in my oddly comfortable pit of despair.

But what I discovered was in Mark’s gospel, that evangelist who was likely a mere teenager when Jesus called to twelve others, “Follow me.” The one who grew old and fiery, who experienced mistreatment and, eventually, was bound by a rope and dragged through Alexandria until he died in a dusty street.

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, [and then] your Father in heaven may forgive you…” (Mark 11:25 NIV).

Yes, it was this man, John Mark, who penned those red-letter words, spoken by the One who’d endured more suffering than we can imagine, who then became sin on our behalf, though without sin Himself—His death offering us freedom through forgiveness.

Ah. I sensed my grip loosening on my grievance as I leaned in to listen. And here I’d thought God’s word to me was an “If / Then” that offered the one who’d hurt me freedom. Frankly, I wasn’t ready to see her set free. Instead, I wanted her to regret her decision, change her mind when she saw the error of her ways. That’s just the honest truth.

But what I read from Mark was something else. Here I was, pleading with God in prayer to heal my broken heart, bind up my wounds, so I could wear the bandages like a badge that others might see my sadness and sympathize. How selfish!

These words, however, offered a gracious gift. Instead of exhorting me to forgive so that this person would be set free, this passage spoke of my forgiveness offering freedom, to me.

Oh my, God’s mercy—to work while I was yet in my simple-minded, selfish state. All He asked was that I do that one thing, like a baby step. And though tottering, I obediently took it to find I was still standing.

What was that step? Even through clenched teeth, I said aloud those 3-words—“I forgive her.” Then I wrote in a letter “I forgive you,” and mailed it.

Though I didn’t know how it would be received, doubted it would ultimately change her mind, that wasn’t what God said was important. I’d obeyed, despite feeling.

And though Kristie never became my daughter, over time, feelings of forgiveness—yes, even love for the one whom I felt wronged me—did come to match my faith-steps. Because, just like a toddler who graduates from tip-toed wobbles to running, I also matured, discovering that it’s in forgiving that we, too, are set free from the binding fetters of sin.

Indeed, there’s power when we forgive, and it’s true—God simply won’t leave well enough alone. Why? Because He knows and wants so much more. Beyond well enough is the well-spring of abundant life that Jesus offered. Through His death, He forgave our sins, which enables us, likewise, to forgive—no matter the circumstances.

And forgiveness? It’s the crossroad to freedom just outside an empty tomb.

(Kristie Miller resides in Oklahoma. We are close friends.)

***This piece appeared first in The Mountaineer, Easter Edition.***

How have you experienced freedom in forgiving?

Is there someone you yet need to forgive? Today’s the day!

Get to Know Maureen:

Maureen Miller is an award-winning author featured in more than twenty collaboratives. She writes for her local newspaper, is a contributing writer for Guideposts, and a featured blogger for several online devotional websites. She loves life in all its forms and enjoys it with her husband and their three children and grandchildren on Selah Farm in western North Carolina. She blogs at www.penningpansies.com, sharing God’s extraordinary character in the ordinary.

Check out Maureen’s story in Life in the Estrogen-Free Zone:

Stories to warm your heart, make you nod in understanding, and remind you of the extraordinary blessings that come with being a boy mom.

Life in the Estrogen-Free Zone is a delightful compilation of laughter, love, and godly advice from moms who proudly navigate the wild terrain of raising boys.

In this heartwarming collection, Michelle Rayburn and eighteen other moms of boys come together to share their unique experiences, offering a refreshing perspective on the joys and challenges that, for some, come with being the sole estrogen ambassador in a household full of testosterone. Through amusing anecdotes, relatable tales of mischief, and practical biblical insights, these moms shed light on the rollercoaster ride of boyhood.

In the pages, mothers share:

Laughter and tears as they recount their hilarious encounters with mud, bugs, and an endless supply of boy energy.
Real-life strategies for tackling the messiest situations, teaching life lessons with finesse, and finding the beauty in the chaos.
A touch of humor and a wealth of heartfelt wisdom from the vibrant world of boy moms.

If you’re a boy mom craving a dose of camaraderie, a bellyful of laughter, and a reminder that you’re rocking this estrogen-free adventure, this book is the perfect companion. Let these humorous and inspiring tales uplift you and remind you to embrace every messy, joy-filled moment.

The contributing authors include:

Abigail Wallace, Avonlea Q. Krueger, Becky Melby, Betty Predmore, Christina Ryan Claypool, Denise Loock, Gina Stinson, Ginny Dent Brant, Joni Topper, Kim Cusimano, Kolleen Lucariello, Maureen Miller, Melissa Meyer, Michelle Rayburn, Pam Farrel, Pam Fields, Rhonda Stoppe, Stacy Sanchez, Valerie McNulty

Grab a copy HERE.

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

Catching Glimpses of God – guest post by Jessica Brodie

by Jennifer Slattery on March 14, 2024March 13, 2024

The night was so clear it took my breath away. The smattering of stars reminded me of tiny shards of glass dotting the sky, and gently nestled behind a silhouette of branches rested a luminous crescent moon. Its vanilla shade was an almost tangible comfort, echoing the promise of warmth the next day would eventually bring. But for now it was night, and the moon was my company.

As I peered at the crescent, I realized I could see the faintest glow of the whole circle of the moon, as well. I wouldn’t have known to look for it if I weren’t familiar with it already, if I didn’t know the moon was sometimes full and this was only a sliver before me now. That sliver was what had caught my eye, but now that I looked closely, the whole thing was unmistakably, irrepressibly clear.

My friends, in that moment I also knew: That is how it is with God’s plan, God’s purpose, God’s hand at work in this world.

Often we seek the big and the grand and the bold. We want God to talk to us audibly, to feel Jesus noticeably at our side, to have some mountaintop experience where we’re fully conscious the Holy Spirit is on the move.

But sometimes God is in the whisper, the sliver, the barely seen.

Those of us who are Christians know in our heart that God our father truly cares, that Jesus is our salvation, and that the Holy Spirit is alive within us. But sometimes life gets hard, and our faith ebbs. We might think God is far away just because we can’t feel him, assume he is distant because we haven’t heard him speak.

But God has given us holy eyes to see there is another aspect of this, an aspect we often can only glimpse or just barely sense—the spirit world. This spirit world is the eternal world, where the colossal battles are fought and where daily concerns pale in comparison to the scope of eternity.

Just like the crescent moon is a hint of the full thing, most of what we are experiencing in this life is just a hint of God’s glorious kingdom. There’s so much more we cannot see.

We pray, and we think we understand God‘s plan for our lives, and usually he only shows us part of it, if any. Perhaps we’re not ready to see the full thing, perhaps we need baby steps, or perhaps he’s waiting to surprise us with how wonderful and glorious our future will be.

Faith is trusting that God’s plan is so much bigger than we can see. It’s knowing we don’t need proof or bold gestures for it to be real and true and oh, so good.

God cannot be confined, yet we try, don’t we?

If you are in a place today where you are heartsick, where you are feeling that burden of despair, exhaustion, and desperately craving direction from God, look with your spiritual eyes, and see what God is telling you.

Sometimes it’s only the crescent, sometimes it’s no moon at all. But sometimes, if you look closely, you’ll glimpse the full picture.

Just trust.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

— EPHESIANS 3:20-21 NIV

Get to Know Jessica

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. This year, she’s released an Advent devotional for those seeking true closeness with God, which you can find at https://www.jessicabrodie.com/advent. Learn more about Jessica’s fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com. She has a weekly YouTube devotional and podcast. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

Seeing the Light in Dark Times

by Jennifer Slattery on March 7, 2024March 6, 2024

(This first posted on January 14, 2021.)

No matter how dark things appear, light is breaking through, always. The question is, will we see it? When difficulties come, it’s so easy to focus on the challenges and disappointments, and in that, to forget the heart, power, presence, and purposes of Christ.

I’ve noticed something lately, something that happens again and again. So often, my most challenging moments, in Christ’s hands, become so life-giving. When C19 hit, my ministry lost an entire year of conferences, and therefore a year worth of funding. At the time, I felt confused and uncertain. But God used the pause and our renewed focus on Him to lead us into new, increasingly fruitful territory.

This pattern has played out in my relationships as well. When we lived in Southern California, my marriage was in a rough place. I felt so alone and ached to connect deeply with my husband, but the hours and stress of his job routinely stole him from me. For a while, the situation seemed to get worse. But even then, God was working, revealing things to both of us we too easily ignored prior. That dark period became a catalyst for change and growth.

Perhaps the most vivid light-piercing-darkness event occurred when I first became sick. Initially, fighting my illness alone, I tried various supplemental “cures.” The more out of control my body felt, the more I fought for control. By the time I sought a doctor and received a diagnosis, my latent, previously manageable and largely “ignored” OCD morphed into obvious germaphobia.

That period was so hard on all of us, but it also led to deep healing. We couldn’t justify or downplay my behavior anymore. I wasn’t simply focused or particular. When life became challenging and darkness pressed in, it squeezed out my inner gunk that we had learned to ignore.

We could’ve become suffocated by the darkness. Instead, by God’s grace, we linked arms, turned to Jesus, and steadily sought and followed His light. And His light indeed broke through in such a beautiful, life-giving way. While this didn’t eliminate our pain, that period changed us, for the better.

Speaking of Jesus, John 1:4-5 says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (NIV).

Jesus didn’t come during a rosy time in history. Lives were ravished by King Herod’s infanticide, Roman oppression, poverty and hunger, leprosy and the lifelong isolation that accompanied it. But God was doing a mighty work not even the most powerful tyrannical ruler or most devastating disease could halt. He was bringing life to the dead and piercing the darkness with light.

The Pharisees couldn’t see this. They were blinded, distracted by the darkness, the darkness within themselves, yes, but also all the oppression and uncertainty in their world. All they could see was what they might lose, should this faith-movement continue: Their prestigious roles as religious leaders, their already tenuous relationship with the Roman authorities, their way of life. They couldn’t, or maybe wouldn’t, see the light—the gift of life and freedom Christ offered.

No matter what 2021 brings, I refuse to be like them. I refuse to become so engulfed in today’s challenges that I fail to see God’s light breaking through. Because I know it’s there. It always is, a light nothing, not the pain of today or the uncertainty of tomorrow, can extinguish.

Speaking of intentionally seeing and pursuing the light, I invite you to join my Your Daily Bible Verse podcast team and I for our Lent series, Journey to the Resurrection. Find it HERE.

How God Brings Good Through Wilderness Seasons – Faith Over Fear

A Difficult but glorious trade

by Jennifer Slattery on February 29, 2024February 28, 2024

When I feel frightened or overwhelmed, my first response tends to be self-reliance. But this has never gone well. In fact, the more I turn to myself–my faulty wisdom and insufficient strength–the more I distance myself from the mighty, loving, faithful hand of God. Not because He has or ever will push me away, but because in those moments, my pride and anxiety seem to speak louder than His voice.

I’ve heard from others that their greatest struggle is overcoming a conditioned response developed from years of relational hurt and betrayal. Due to past pain, they’ve come to equate trust with danger. While God understands, He also gently and lovingly invites them to experience the transforming power of His love.

I’ve discovered, beauty comes whenever I timidly release my grip on all those things I try so desperately to control and entrust my life, dreams, hurts, and fears, to my Savior’s care.

This is the promise Jesus made, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (NIV).

At every moment, He beckons us to “lay down our lives,” not so that we would remain in the dust, but rather to place ourselves in a position for Jesus to pick us up and remove from within us everything that hinders His freedom giving Spirit.

In his book, The Holy Spirit Or Power From on High, Reverand A. B. Simpson tells a story about missionaries who shared a meal with an impoverished group of people. Prior to their arrival, the couple told their hosts to prepare for them their best feast. The woman of the home responded that she had nothing but a little fish to share. Still, the missionaries insisted she serve what she could.

Then, on the day of their “feast”, the couple, who were the guests, arrived with a dog sleigh filled with bundle after bundle of food, much more than needed for their shared meal.

This is a picture of what it means to lay down our lives. To lay down everything within us that doesn’t honor Christ, knowing that He always has good planned for us.

We give Him our selfishness, and in its place, receive the ability to love more freely, which results in deepened relationships.

We relinquish our pride, and in our humility, receive grace upon grace.

We hand over our bitterness, and experience soul deep freedom and a heart open to connection.

We relinquish our dysfunction and self-deception and take instead a healing and growth that radiates the loveliness of Christ for generations.

This is what I must remind myself of, in my most reluctant and frightened moments. Whatever Jesus asks of me, it is always to lead me to into a more thriving life. And when wounds and lies from my past challenge my trust, may I reflect upon the contrast presented in John 10:10 when Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

This reminds me, with every choice, that I’m heading in one of two directions– further from or closer to the thriving life my soul needs and craves.