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Archive for October, 2013

Let’s Surrender, Friends. Let’s Surrender All.

Posted on: October 31st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

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Early on in my walk with God, my friend, Nicole, sent an encouraging word to me as I wrestled with surrendering myself to God. She said, “How hard it is to surrender it all to [Jesus] and let go of all we hold on to, but how powerful our lives can be when we do just that.” She’s right, I thought. Surrendering myself wholly to Jesus was a difficult transition for me. And when I’m being completely honest with myself, I recognize that I still struggle in this area––though by the grace of God, it’s to a much lesser extent. Before becoming a Christian, I was quite controlling. Everything in my life was controlled by me. I was the one in charge. I was the one who made the decisions. And I, certainly, had a way of getting what I wanted. I mostly used kindness and charm to influence others,…

What Do You Do When Doubts Come

Posted on: October 29th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 7 Comments

At some point during your faith walk, doubts will come. I’m convinced no one is immune to doubt. “Maybe there is no God,” you may think. “Maybe this whole ‘faith thing’ is just a product of wishful thinking.” Or maybe you don’t doubt your faith in God but think, “Maybe God doesn’t love me.” Or, “Maybe God doesn’t work miracles or speak to us as He did in the Bible.” When doubt strikes, it seems to come, quite literally, out of no where. Doubt is never settling. In fact, it’s quite startling. But I, honestly, don’t believe doubt is the enemy that it appears to be. Doubt in and of itself is not sinful. And in fact, doubt can serve us well because, after all, a faith challenged––a faith questioned––is a stronger faith in the end. The story of the gospel is a powerful one, one that holds the power to transform lives,…

{Guest Post} Kidnapped

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

Murder, kidnapping, kidnap, story, testimony, forgiveness, God, god's protection,

Today’s post was written by Donna Weisser, a woman who contacted me recently after having read one of my posts. She has quite a powerful story to share with us about how God has used and redeemed a tragic incident that resulted in her kidnapping and her husband’s murder. I believe this story is only in its infancy, and I am certain God will continue to use Donna’s testimony further, for her good and His glory. Thank you, Donna, for sharing such a painful, yet encouraging message with us all. … As I drove home from work on June 4, 2012, my heart was joyful. There were only 2 more days of school, and then I would be off for the summer and have more time to spend with my husband and my Father who had been hospitalized in May due to a broken back as a result of a fall. I entered into…

Do You Believe God?

Posted on: October 22nd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Peter, one of Jesus’ apostles, walked on water––though it was only for a little while. Peter had faith. Enough faith, in fact, to believe Jesus would enable him to do the impossible. Yet, Peter’s great faith wained quickly. “He saw the wind” we’re told, and fear trumped faith as he began to sink (Matthew 14:30). Peter cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me” (14:30). And Jesus did, “saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (14:31). Why did you doubt? Peter is known for quick bursts of great faith that would often slowly dissipate into doubt. And I wonder, how many of us are just like Peter? Just as the apostles cried out to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” so too, we should cry (Luke 17:5). We need great faith––a resurgence of faith. Every one of us. We need, quite simply, to BELIEVE GOD. We need to believe that He is, in fact, who…

Pray for the Impossible

Posted on: October 17th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

My girls are off this week for fall break, so I’m taking the time to be with them. Today’s post has been recycled, so to speak, but it’s still new to this site. Just like Tuesday’s post, I originally wrote this one back in 2012 to be a guest post for a friend. I hope you enjoy it! And I’ll be back next week with all new posts. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. – Matthew 5:44 Three and a half years ago, the Holy Spirit challenged me with this scripture. Love your enemy. This is a difficult command, and when confronted with it, I could think of only one person––Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. Jesus was calling me to love my enemy, and one of the only insights I had on how to do this was to pray. So, out of obedience, I began to pray. I prayed good…

Go

Posted on: October 15th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

Go, God, God is holding you, god is with you, i am with you, Matthew 7:13, anxiety, fear, trusting god, saying yes to god, faith, following Jesus, Jesus, God, Christ, Christian

My girls are off this week for fall break, so I’m taking the time to be with them. Today’s post has been recycled, so to speak, but it’s still new to this site. I originally wrote it back in 2012 to be a guest post for a friend. I hope you enjoy it! And I’ll be back next week with all new posts. My daughter, Avery, busied herself in our home office while I was getting things done around the house. She was four, at the time, and she had no idea I was wrestling with God. As I worked, my mind was flooded with thoughts, inundated with worry. Avery came running into the kitchen where I was cleaning counter tops. “Mommy, Mommy!” She cried, with excitement. “I have something for you! Here!” I bent down and took the little card my sweet child made for me. Not expecting the message I…

One Thousand Gifts Book Winner

Posted on: October 11th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

As promised, today’s the day to announce the winner of Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts! But first, I’d like to thank you all for entering. Be sure to catch next month’s giveaway. Next month, I’ll be reviewing a book that’s quite possibly my favorite, but it’s hard saying because I love so many! But without further adieu, the winner of One Thousand Gifts is… Ms. Whittamore! Congratulations! Ms. Whittamore, if you would kindly send me an email {laurie@lauriecoombs.org} with the address you’d like the book shipped to, I’d greatly appreciate it. A wonderful weekend to you all!

One Thousand Gifts – Book Review and Giveaway!

Posted on: October 10th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

This will be the first of what I hope to be many book reviews and book giveaways on my blog. I hope to do one book a month, but I want you to know something right from the start. I am only interested in telling you about books I have personally read and believe in. So, rest assured, the books I tell you about will be GOOD! (And by the way, I don’t receive any compensation for these posts––or any for that matter––so I have no anterior motives.) … There’s an amazing book I’d like to tell you about today. It’s a book that truly has the power to help transform your thinking, and consequently your life. And I don’t say this lightly. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, written by Ann Voskamp, is a treasure we each should take the time to read. The…

Beauty Can Be Found in Death or A Call to Come and Die

Posted on: October 8th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

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Autumn is a favorite time of year for many. Breathtaking colors––vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges––saturate our once-green world for a short time before life gives way to death. It’s beautiful, really. But what’s even more beautiful are the truths exemplified through this process. Truth is, beauty can be found even in death. Scripture tells us we will be given beauty for our ashes. Even in death, Christ followers are promised life. This is why Jesus had to die––to bring us life. True life comes through death. [Tweet that] Jesus told us––as He willingly walked toward the cross, knowing the fate that awaited Him––that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:24-25, emphasis mine). Jesus was referring to His own death…

{Answered Questions} Does Pain Lead to Sin?

Posted on: October 3rd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

At the beginning of September, I wrote asking if readers had questions for Anthony, the man who murdered my dad, or myself. And there was, in fact, one question posed by Mark Alman (for each of us). I sent the question to Anthony, and His response (as well as mine) can be found below. ~ For Anthony: “I have been thinking a lot about pain recently and how pain drives us to do wrong things. I believe in my life my most egregious sins were driven by pain. I wonder if you felt that yours were as well?” – Mark Anthony’s response: Yes, Mark. In my life, as well, my worst sin was driven by pain. Men tend to manifest hurt into anger. I think it’s programmed into us! When the Holy Spirit comes into us, we also receive His blessings, or fruit––love, peace, patience, etc––but when we get hurt and…