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Archive for January, 2013

{Lessons Learned} Jesus Accomplishes the Impossible

Posted on: January 31st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” – Luke 18:27 When we follow Jesus, He accomplishes the impossible. [Tweet that] Lord, I pray for Anthony. Help him. Have your will be done in his life, and please, Lord, if he is truly a Christian let him be used by you in prison to turn lives around for your glory. Let him gather your people to you in prison! Lord, help him truly submit to you and your will and help him to be a true strong believer who turns from evil to your light. – My prayer journal, May 2010 I prayed this prayer often as I began correspondence with Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. I prayed for Anthony to come to true repentance. For him to be brought to his knees and to transform him into a strong man of God who gained…

{Lessons Learned} When It Just Doesn’t Make Sense

Posted on: January 28th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:9 “It just doesn’t make sense,” I said. “I know what God’s calling me to do. I know I need to bring Anthony a bible. But he probably already has one; He claimed to be a Christian at the time of the murder. What good will this do?” I began to pray for clarity; I prayed for grace to follow despite the fact that none of what I was being called to made sense. Ultimately, it was given. I sent an email to a friend at the time and wrote: Frankly, I have no idea to what purpose God would send me there to see [Anthony]…All that I know is that God seems to be leading me in this way, and I feel like I need to follow Him. Crazy? Yes! But…

{Lessons Learned} When Jesus Calls, Follow

Posted on: January 24th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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We’re called to follow Jesus daily through every little intricacy life has to offer. But there are times Jesus calls us to follow Him to do something much bigger, something that will alter the course of our lives. I have two such events in my life. The first was the call to love and forgive Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. The second was to write about this experience––both on this blog and to begin writing a book––to show others just what God can do when we choose to follow Him. Now, you would think the difficulty came when called to interact with the man who murdered my dad. But when Jesus beckoned me to follow Him toward forgiveness––which I knew would require that I delve into the deepest, darkest parts of my soul––I was given grace to follow immediately, without reservation, without rebellion, without questioning Jesus or reasoning with…

{Lessons Learned} How to Let Go of Control

Posted on: January 21st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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…all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:16b-17 Ultimately, we’re not the ones in control. God is. For most Christians, it’s easy to trust that God is in control of our lives when all is going well. The difficulty comes when the heat is turned up. When we’re struggling to see the outcome. When we’re scared things might not turn out the way we’d like. It seems the moment we sense our jobs, our health, our finances, or any other area of our lives might be failing we grasp hold of any and all control we can, not realizing that this response is futile. Control is an illusion. Sure, we have a responsibility to do what we can and to be good stewards of the gifts we’ve been given, but the outcome is, ultimately, not in…

{Lessons Learned} God is Bigger

Posted on: January 17th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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As I began writing this, a song came to mind. I have two little girls, and for a long time, they loved Veggie Tales, and they loved the song “God is Bigger Than the Boogie Man.” It’s a catchy tune. But in all seriousness, this truth was pivotal in my walk with God, and even now, I have to remind myself that God is bigger than whatever is going on in my life, and that I can trust Him with all that I have and all that I am. He’s bigger than my fears. He’s bigger than whatever situation I find myself in. He’s bigger than my past and my past hurts, as well as my past successes or failures. He’s bigger than my future and what trials or achievements may come. He’s bigger than my enemies. He’s bigger than Satan and evil. God is bigger than my sin and my…

{Lessons Learned} In Order to Follow Jesus, We Must Know Jesus.

Posted on: January 14th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 8 Comments

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Do you trust someone you don’t know? Would you listen to the advice of someone you just met and follow them into a risky situation? I think most people would have enough discernment to get to know someone prior to trusting them. And this translates well into our relationship with God. If you don’t know Jesus, why would you trust Him with your life? Yes, it is true. In order to follow Jesus, we must know Jesus. [Tweet that] Here’s how this played out in my story: When I was called to forgive Anthony, I knew God is loving, and that He was simply asking me to give what He graciously gave me. When I was called to love my enemy, I knew God is good, and that He would only ask me to do something that would lead me to a better place. When I feared interaction with a…

Lessons Learned Through Forgiving My Dad’s Murderer

Posted on: January 10th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

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The Gospel tells us about God. It tells us about our fallen nature. It tells us we serve a merciful and gracious God, who had every reason to simply write off humanity, but instead, choose to die on our behalf. It speaks of redemption, that we have been redeemed and are being made new. And finally it speaks of restoration, that one day, all things will be made new, and we will live eternally in the presence of God. All of creation proclaims God’s truths to humanity, but God, Himself, also speaks to each of us, through His Word and in many other subtle ways throughout our lives. Every time we come to Him, He honors us with His teaching. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” All we must…

{Following Jesus} Our Light Through the Storm

Posted on: January 7th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light. – 2 Samuel 22:29 It was Christmas night. After spending the day in our hometown of Carson City, celebrating Christmas with our family, Travis, the girls, and I began the twenty-five mile drive back home. It was dark and snowy. Visibility was poor as the storm clouds enveloped our car. The beam of our headlights proved to be of only minor assistance in guiding our way, for just as quick as the light left our car, it was met with the beautiful fog of falling snow and the haze of the surrounding storm. As we drove, the girls slept in the back seat. Travis and I fell silent as the day’s events settled upon us. In the silence, God began to speak. He began to open my eyes to His truths surrounding me. I love it when…

New Beginnings

Posted on: January 3rd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

My family and I took quite a bit of time off this holiday season, and we sure made good use of our time together. Besides celebrating Christmas and bringing in the new year, we enjoyed time with friends and family, a day at the movies, skiing, sledding (perks of living twenty minutes from Tahoe), and just enjoyed each other’s company. It’s been nice, but now, we’re back to it. And I’m ready to dive back into writing! New Beginnings As a new year begins, I think it’s an appropriate time to assess where we’ve been, where we currently find ourselves, and where we’re going. To see what worked, what didn’t, and to take a look at the reasons behind these successes and failures. While it’s good to assess each aspect of your life, in a more holistic approach, I’d like to challenge you to take some time, look back over 2012, and deliberately…