Faith | Laurie Coombs

Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

{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 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} 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…

{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…

Will You Press Through to Get Into the Presence of God?

Posted on: December 20th, 2012 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

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There is an account found in three out of the four gospels. It is the story of a woman who endured a discharge of blood for twelve years. One thing we must understand is that a condition such as this rendered the woman “unclean.” She would have been a lonely woman, devoid of touch or much companionship at all. Come with me for a moment and imagine…. You are this woman. You cannot touch others, and others cannot touch you. You’re outcasted. Desperate, you spend all your financial resources going to doctors. One after another. But they’re no help. Instead of seeing improvement, you only worsen. Can you relate to this woman in any way? Quite possibly, in some area of your life, you need help. You seek help––help that promises a solution to your problem––only to find yourself right where you began, or perhaps even behind a step or…

The Battle We Wage

Posted on: December 4th, 2012 by Laurie Coombs 10 Comments

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If you’re completely honest with yourself, there is tension between who you want to be and who you currently are. [Tweet that] The whole world currently exists in the already but not yet. Jesus already came. He died for our sins. He resurrected, conquering death, sin, and Satan. We have already been redeemed by our gracious, loving God. But we have yet to see Him make all things new, which He will do upon His second coming. We have already been saved but not yet perfected. We are already saints by identity but not yet by deed. This can be a frustrating place to be. In Romans, Paul, himself, experienced this tension. He says: For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I…

Are You the Prostitute or the Pharisee?

Posted on: November 29th, 2012 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

I’m reading several books right now. I do that. In fact, oftentimes I read four to five books at a time. Admittedly this isn’t the best way to go about reading, but it works for me––most of the time. Anyway, I think Jesus has been trying to get my attention. The story of the sinful woman being forgiven by Jesus found in Luke 7 was presented in two different books I’m reading within days of each other. Both accounts painted the scene with vivid color. Flesh was given to these individuals as they came alive before my eyes. The authors explored the tension held in the room, the feelings of those in attendance, and all of the cultural intricacies at play––all drawn from biblical and historical sources. Here’s this woman. This prostitute. She sees Jesus, dining with a Pharisee. Overtaken by emotion, she enters into the room and approaches Jesus,…

Simply Be a Child of God

Posted on: November 20th, 2012 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. – 1 Samuel 12:21 Have you ever gotten so caught up in doing that you forget to simply be in the presence of God? Over the last 10 months, I have been going… and going… and going. I have been doing. All good things. All with good intentions (or at least as good each of our intentions can be, in this fallen flesh). But still, I have been doing. Writing. Sharing the Word. Caring for those around me. But then I hear God’s gentle whisper. What about Me? Where do I fit in all of this? Don’t forget. You are My child before anything else. And so, I take a step back. Take a deep breath. And let out a heavy sigh. I am a Child of God. How could I have forgotten? I have been…