Faith | Laurie Coombs

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{Love Your Enemy} Fight Darkness With Light

Posted on: September 17th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

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Jesus taught his followers a new way to treat people. Usually when people hurt you, you want to hurt them back. If people don’t like you, you don’t like them either. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies. It’s never easy but Jesus can help you. If you do good to your enemies you could change your life and theirs forever. – Avery (right before her 6th birthday), quoting one of her children’s devotional books. I came across this piece of paper a few weeks back and had to share it. As I busily cleaned the house one day, my daughter, Avery, decided to grab her “devo” and copy down one of its entries. This is what I found. Now, I don’t know if her selection was intentional or not, but out of the 365 entries in her book, she chose this one, and of course, you all know how…

{Lessons Learned} “Strike That from the Record”

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

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Last week, I began writing my book again. It’s been a little while since I last looked at my manuscript, and to be honest, it needed a lot of work. I’ve known this for quite sometime, and at the request of my agent, I began working with a professional editor to reorganize and make the necessary adjustments needed to bring the manuscript up to publishing standards. Once this is done, it will be pitched to Christian publishing houses, so over the next few months I can certainly use some prayers for my book to find its home so that my story can reach the masses. I bring all this up to tell you where my head has been lately. I’ve been immersed in the story God entrusted me to tell once again, and what’s emerged is a new sense of one of my story’s main themes which is that God’s…

Light Enters the Darkness

Posted on: September 5th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

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Just a little heads up. Today’s post is a bit more like a Bible study, which I don’t really do too much here, but stick with me! … The other day, I began reading the Bible from the beginning once again. Though I intended to read a solid chunk that first day, I failed to move past the second paragraph as I was astounded by new insights I hadn’t recognized before. I read, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was…

Passionate Faith––Stoking the Fire

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

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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

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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

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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

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“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….

Failing Faith and Lost Hope

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

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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

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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

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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…