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Archive for February, 2014

Posted on: February 25th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment
margin, breathing room, Andy Stanley, work, calling, trust, trusting God, American dream, productivity, maximize productivity, fill in gap, God, Jesus, deadline,

“If we could just get this stuff right,” I said to my husband, “our lives would be amazing.” I had just finished listening to Pastor Andy Stanley’s Breathing Room sermon series, which addresses the importance of the way we spend both our time and money and argues that life is simply better with breathing room. Relationships thrive when there’s breathing room. We experience greater joy and peace when there’s breathing room. And ultimately we have more opportunity to grow in our relationship with God when there’s breathing room. Now, I realize this message may seem like common sense. We know this stuff. It’s nothing new. But I question how many of us still live our lives to the limit. We live in a fast paced world––in a society that makes productivity and “success” top priority. As Americans, we’re called to work hard and achieve the fallacious “American Dream.” But I don’t believe this…

Posted on: February 20th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment
book release, book contract, grace, faithfulness, God's faithfulness, trusting God, call, calling, following Jesus, obeying God, saying yes to God, trusting God, faith, grace,

I posted this blog on Tuesday but had some technical difficulty, so I’ve decided to share an edited version again today for those of you who missed my exciting news.  I believe I have been entrusted with a powerful message to share with the world. A message that I have told only in part on my blog but will tell in its entirety in the book I am writing. It was just over two years ago that I felt God’s call to write a book about the mighty work He has accomplished in my life. And though I’d love to say that I immediately complied with God’s request to write this book, and that I immediately pursued my calling, I didn’t. For several months, I fought it. Like Jonah, I ran from God’s call. But one Sunday morning, as I stood in church singing my heart out to God during worship,…

Posted on: February 13th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments
God's strength, Holy Spirit, own strength, strength, receive, receiving, receiving God, God, Jesus, faith, giving, burn out, grace, god's grace, blessing, blessed, strength, depleted, empty,

“I feel depleted,” I told my husband. “I feel like Elijah laying under that broom tree.” Travis looked at me curiously. I didn’t pray to die as Elijah had, of course, but I was spent. Why is my tank so empty? I questioned. What am I doing wrong? I was serving, both my family and church, and was pursuing my calling. All good things, by my estimation––things I believed God was calling me to do, and so I was confused. Why am I so burnt out if I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing? The answer came. I was doing it in my own strength. I needed to learn how to receive God’s strength and to allow His Spirit to empower me for the work I was called to. This was perhaps the first time I had become aware of my need to receive. Learning to receive from God…

Posted on: February 11th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments
Same Kind of Different as Me

About once a month or so, I will be reviewing and giving away one of my favorite books. I figure it’s a good way to pass along some great titles and give you some insight into some of the sources that have had an influence on me. I hope you enjoy these posts and find these resources to be as inspirational and influential as I did!  “I used to spend a lotta time worryin that I was different from other people, even from other homeless folks. Then, after I met Miss Debbie and Mr. Ron, I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn’t ever gon’ have no kind a’ future. But I found out everybody’s different – the same kind of different as me. We’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us. The truth about it is, whether we is rich…

Posted on: February 6th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments
Receiving, Receive, Gift, gifts, gifts from God, faith, by faith, grace, belief, unbelief, striving, will, self will,

Receive healing, God told me. I’ve already given it to you. You simply needed to receive it. “Okay. I receive,” I prayed, trying to will myself to receive. But nothing happened. “I receive your healing,” I prayed with greater passion, “I receive!” Still, nothing. “I don’t get it,” I complained to God. “I’m trying to receive! What am I doing wrong?” For many months, I continued to try to will myself into a position of receiving yet saw no indication that God was moving. I was stumped. I have a hard time receiving, in general. Especially from other people. But I do know how to receive from people. It’s pretty cut and dry. To receive from people, you simply take what’s been given to you. But how do you receive from God? Though I know all we have is ultimately from God, the gifts we are to receive from Him are…

Posted on: February 4th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments
social media, transparency, christ follower, comparing, God, faith, different, highlight reel, worth, worthy,

I once heard a pastor say that we often compare our entire lives to everyone else’s highlight reel. I believe that’s true. He was talking about comparison, making the point that we cannot accurately judge our lives by looking at others because most of us share only the parts of our lives that make us look good. Peruse Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site, and you’ll soon discover that it’s all a farce––a facade we display to the world to prove self-worth. To receive validation that our lives really are worth living. Some spend hours every day on these sites, wasting the time they’ve been given in an attempt to make their time on this earth seem worthy in the eyes of others. In an attempt to feel better about their lot in life. Now, I’m not saying all social media is bad. It can, certainly, be used…