Laurie Coombs » 2013

Archive for August, 2013

Are There Physical Benefits to Forgiveness? {Guest Blog By Anthony, My Dad’s Murderer}

Posted on: August 29th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

Christ, Christian, Christian forgiveness, God Forgives, God forgiveness, forgiving murder, forgiving the unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgiveness, blessings, blessing forgive, forgiveness blessings, Jesus, letter from murderer, murderer, redeem, redemption, redeemed, murder redeemed, love, Philippines4, Philippians 4:11-13, God work, God works, God moves, free, freedom, rest, prison, prisoner, stress, sleeplessness, insomnia, followers of Jesus, christ followers, follow Jesus, grace, shooting, no sleep, nightmares, Psalm, 103:2-3, Isaiah 53:5, healed, healing, forgiven, Forgiveness, Health benefits, Health and Forgiveness, Forgiveness Heal, Forgiveness, Healing, Health Benefits of Forgiveness, Healing, Peace, Joy,

“The door is always open,” I told Anthony. “If you ever feel led to share something on my blog, you’re welcome to.” Recently, he took me up on that offer. But it’s not the first time. Anthony wrote two other posts for me a while back (I Forgive You and A Word From Within the Prison). If you missed either one, be sure to check them out. Today, however, we have the privilege of hearing from Anthony again about the physical benefits he has experienced as a result of the forgiveness he received both from God and myself. … I was forgiven. Now, what was I doing to do with it? The daughter of the man I had shot and killed 12 years previously had forgiven me. We had spent two years writing back and forth, working up to this. So many sleepless nights, days spent staring at letters I didn’t want…

Passionate Faith––Stoking the Fire

Posted on: August 27th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

Jesus, Christ, Christian, God, follow, follow Jesus, Following Jesus, praise, worship, Passion, Passionate Faith, Faith, stoke the fire, stoking the fire, campfire, s'mores, camping, tending fire, snuffed out, how do you get on fire for God, Building your fire, Fire heart, John 15:5, bear fruit, apart from Jesus, grace, fire left unattended, Source of heat, Jesus center, increase passion, on fire for Jesus, on fire for God, Remember your baptism, Martin Luther, Deuteronomy, Remember, forgetfulness, stoke your fire, wildfire,

With sticks outstretched, we sit around our campfire roasting marshmallows. An old 1960’s green canvas wall tent stands erect nearby. A relic––from my childhood and my dad’s––that’s now become a part of my children’s lives. It’s late, the sun has finally set after another long summer day, yet we cannot allow the children to go to bed before sitting around the campfire, and they certainly don’t object. S’mores supplies stand ready on a nearby table. Two grahams topped with a piece of chocolate wait for the golden, or sometimes charred, mallow to make one of camping’s greatest delicacies. Excitement fills the air, as the children make, and anticipate enjoying, their treat. My husband, Travis, sits close to the round rock pit, stick in hand, poking the fire within. He watches closely, tending to the fire, as we talk and share stories. Laughter echoes through the stillness of the woods. In…

Together We Can Change the World

Posted on: August 22nd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

You do your part, I do my part, together, change the world, impact the world, what you do with your life matters, your life matters, Christ, Christ follower, jesus Follower, Follower of Jesus, following Jesus, Christianity, Jesus, God, portion, how to I impact the world, do what you are called to do, calling, God's call, God's calling, child of God, grounded in Christ, Christ at center, the Lord, walk in calling, plate, what you do, doing, do, make a difference, God's will, love, love God, love others, effective life, intention, intentionality, living with intention,

What you do with your life matters. As mentioned in my last post, Do You Want to be a World-Changer?, I believe each and every Christ follower is called to change the world, but that will look different for each of us. I think one of the most important questions we can ask God is this: What portion of Your Kingdom would You like to entrust to me? We are not called to take on the world by ourselves. But instead, we are entrusted with a portion of the world where we’re intended to make an impact. One thing I learned early on in my walk with Christ is that I can’t do it all. I tried to do it all, but then soon, I was burnt out. I tried to take on each and every opportunity to serve only to discover that I wasn’t making much of a difference in any…

Do You Want to be a World-Changer?

Posted on: August 20th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 8 Comments

world, world changer, created, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, mission, missional, Matthew 5, Matthew 5:14, Matthew 5:16, light of the world, let your light shine, light, dark, darkness, calling, what is my calling, what am i called to do, why am i here, what is the purpose of life, why live, what am i alive, why was i created, creator, Christ, Ephesians 2:10, good works, works, good, evil, make the world better, make a difference, how do I change the world, how do we change the world, change the world, little by little, don't eat an elephant in one bite, intention, intentionality, rooted in love, love, love god, love others, love one another, do what you're called to do, do what you can, your life matters, power, holy spirit, believer, christ follower, following jesus, follow, follow jesus, how do i follow jesus, how do you follow jesus,

It’s a bit idealistic, I know, but I’d like to change the world. And it seems to me, that changing the world really isn’t as big of a challenge as we make it out to be. Truly, if there’s one thing I am sure of it’s this: we serve a God who accomplishes the impossible. Our God restores what is lost, redeems what is broken, and works all things for our good and His glory. Yet, God chooses to use His children to bring about His purposes here on earth. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus (the Light of the World) refers to His followers as the light of the world, and we are told to “let [our] light shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16). We are the light of the world. We were created…

{Lessons Learned} Sometimes You Need to Do It Scared

Posted on: August 15th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

Joshua 1:9, Joshua, Psalm 23, Psalm 23:5, Jesus, Christ, Christian, God, Faith, Fear, following jesus, follow peace, do it scared, how do i get peace, how do i find peace, scared, murder, murderer, contacting murderer, inmate, prison, God's will, Jesus leading, leading, Jesus is in control, God goes before us

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 “Follow peace,” I was told. It sounds like good advice. It’s a nice sentiment, and it certainly sounds spiritual. But I’ve learned that, sometimes, peace doesn’t show up until later. Sometimes you need to do it scared. [Tweet that] And boy, was I scared. I had just contacted a murderer––one that had spent close to a decade in prison at that point––and I had anything but peace in my heart. Perhaps he’s really good at conning people, I thought. What if he deceives me? What if I’m led astray? Fears flooded my mind. But I knew what I heard. I knew what God was calling me to do. This was God’s will and Jesus’ direction. I was sure of that. I prayed for a word from God to ease my mind and was given Psalm 23….

It’s a New Look!

Posted on: August 12th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

Well, hello there! As you can see, LaurieCoombs.org has a new look! Over the last month or so, I’ve been working closely with an amazing woman by the name of Hannah Beasley to come up with a new design for my blog, and here it is! Hannah was a pleasure to work with, and honestly I would recommend her to anyone looking for a designer. If you’re interested, she can be found on her website Hannah Rose Beasley Art & Design. If you’re receiving this post via email, you’re hopefully seeing a new look there as well, but if you’re not, it’ll be coming soon. Also, be sure to check out my new “Free Gifts” page as you’re sure to find some new printables that I designed to help you in your walk with the Lord. That’s about it for now. If you’d like, let me know what you think…

Failing Faith and Lost Hope

Posted on: August 9th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 8 Comments

Struggles, Wrestling, Wrestling with God, thinking, thoughts, bad thoughts, adoption, faith, failing faith, lost hope, hope, faith, think too much, analytical, prayer, pray, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christian Faith, Real faith, what does real faith look like, need wisdom, clarity, i needed help, God's will, God's will vs our will, our will, free will, discouraged, promises of god, promises, waiting for God, Waiting on God, Waiting God, Waiting, Wait, God faithful, Is God faithful, God's grace, grace, God's not measuring up, God not meet my expectations, great faith, doubt, God is good, God's plan, best plan, God speaks, God always speaks, God is speaking, God talks, be content, content, contentment, Abraham, Sarah, Abraham and Sarah, Abraham and Sarah Wait, How long did Abraham wait for baby, God's promises, real life,

After a long, exhausting weekend, I decided to turn in early. Yet as my head hit the pillow, thoughts began to running away from me. After hearing some news about our adoption––news that most likely won’t negatively impact our adoption at all––I began to think. And what you must understand about me is that I’ve always been a “thinker.” I analyze and reason through everything. This can be a good thing. But sometimes, I have a tendency to think too much, which can lead me down some pretty dark alleys. And that’s precisely what happened this night. An hour passed, full of thought and cries out to God, when I realized I needed help. I needed wisdom. And I needed someone else to pray alongside me for clarity about our adoption. So, I texted my girlfriend and said, Ok. I need some help. Feeling super discouraged about our adoption. Maybe…

It’s Been Thirteen Years

Posted on: August 6th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 6 Comments

Anniversary, death anniversary, Anniversary of death, dad died, dad murder, dad murdered, tragedy, storyline, story, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Forgive, Forgiveness, Forgiveness Christian, Forgiveness God, Forgiveness Jesus, good life, gift life, I miss my dad, i miss dad, joy, blessing, heartache, letter, letters, peace, correspondence, forgiving the unforgivable, heal wounds, heal, healing, wounds, pain, tragedy, grace, Satan, what satan meant for evil, satan evil, God works good, God works all for good, Romans 8:28, God's grace, Jesus victory, Jesus victor, Jesus redeemer, redeemer, redeem, redemption, goodness of God, God accomplishes impossible,

My dad died thirteen years ago yesterday. It’s hard to believe thirteen years have passed. It’s all still a bit surreal. My life seems to be somewhat of a paradox. Tragedy weaves throughout the storyline of my life, yet God has given me a good life––full of many joys, many blessings, and yes, much heartache. Honestly, I miss my dad. I think I always will. But my dad’s absence is always a bit more real on the anniversary of his death. Three years ago, on August 5th, I found myself writing my fourth letter to Anthony. All doors had closed. I wasn’t going to be able to visit him in prison as I was hoping to. Yet, I was committed to pursuing forgiveness and peace through our correspondence. In my letter, I wrote: Ironically, I’m writing you on the tenth anniversary of my dad’s death. While in a way, it does…

Legendary Faith: Unleash the Faith of Old

Posted on: August 2nd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 7 Comments

Walk Through That Door, Laurie Coombs, Faith, by faith, impossible, see the impossible, impossible happen, witness the impossible, witness impossible, possible, the impossible is possible, God, Jesus, Christ, Christian, power, powerful faith, great faith, I want great faith, we can do all things through jesus, walk on water, step out of boat, only say a word, follow jesus, following jesus, God works all things for good, Romans 8:28, presence of faith, faith present, gift of faith, faith is a gift, the gift of faith, Martin Luther, Martin Luther faith, Martin Luther faith quote, God's grace, grace, daring confidence in grace, confidence, Matthew 17:20, mustard seed, mustard seed faith, move mountains, impactful life, good life, live a good life, true faith, genuine trust in Jesus, trust jesus, genuine trust, how to trust, i want my life to matter, life count, faith of old, Bible, Scripture, Elijah, Elijah stop rain, Moses part Red Sea, Hebrews 11, Elisha raise boy from dead, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Samuel, Prophets, forefathers, father of faith, faith has power, God wants to use you,

I want great faith. I want the kind of faith that allows us to step out of the boat and walk on water toward Jesus when He beckons, knowing we can do all things through Him. The kind of faith that confidently says to Jesus, “Only say a word,” knowing full well that even the impossible is possible with God. The kind of faith to follow Jesus into the unknown––into our scary places––regardless of the cost, knowing confidently He will work all things for His glory and your good. The Presence of Faith Christian reformer, Martin Luther, was quoted as saying “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Do you have this daring confidence in God’s grace? You know, Jesus tells us that even “if you have faith like a grain of…