God's Plan vs Our Plan | Laurie Coombs

Archive for the ‘God’s Plan vs Our Plan’ Category

Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

Posted on: December 30th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 I once did a 40-day Bible reading challenge. The challenge was just as it sounds––read through the Bible in 40 days. Yep––the whole thing! For 41 days (I got behind a bit), beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, I read an average of 30 chapters a day. This challenge was crazy, but let me tell you: it was absolutely amazing! When first presented with all this craziness, I was intrigued, but I didn’t think I could do it. After all, I have children who need their mommy and a husband who needs his wife, but God made it happen. Day in and day out, I was given the time needed to soak in the truth of God’s Word. And when God’s truth continually washes over…

A Son Was Given

Posted on: December 23rd, 2014 by Laurie Coombs

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). A son, born to die––heaven sent––lay swaddled in a feeding trough. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). Immanuel––God with us. Christ the child, through whom salvation had finally come. I will provide a way, whispered God to His beloved. I will not leave you, nor will I forsake you. For, you are Mine. A promise, whispered throughout the ages, was fulfilled in that moment through the birth of this child––this beautiful child, full of grace––the Light of the world. And on that first Christmas morn, light shone like never before into the darkness, terrifying and commanding the powers of darkness to flee. But…

Committed to YES!

Posted on: December 9th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 6 Comments

My girlfriend and I have been looking at marketing strategies lately. With my book coming out next June, we want to ensure we’re doing all we can to disseminate the message I’ve been entrusted with to the greatest extent possible. I’ll be talking more about that as time goes on, but I wanted to tell you about a comment my friend said to me the other day. It was a text, actually, and it said, “So I am thinking the marketing plan should be… SAYING YES TO GOD…it’s amazing how even when you don’t want to do some of what He calls us to do…if you keep saying yes, He takes care of you…He has constantly given you favor Laurie! Kudos to you for saying Yes…” I had just been given another ridiculously amazing opportunity to share my story in a major publication, and let me tell you––this assignment was…

The Cost of Discipleship

Posted on: December 5th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs

Jesus came that we might have life. And life to the full. He came to bind up the brokenhearted. To bring good news to the poor. To proclaim liberty to the captives. To provide for our every need. To love us. To care for us. To provide a home for our wondering heart. He calls to the people. “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). “Come, follow Me,” He says (Matthew 19:21). “Learn from Me…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Promising to guide us into His will for our lives, He beckons us to follow. We’re called to be disciples. Followers of Christ––the living God––but discipleship comes at a cost. All that stuff I wrote above is pleasant to the ear. We like hearing the truth of God’s promise to love and care for us. To restore us to wholeness and healing. These…

Sometimes It’s Just Hard

Posted on: November 13th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs

I was following Jesus into the unknown––into my scary places. Places I did not want to go. He was calling me to walk on the water with Him––to do things I did not want to do––but I knew those very things would bring me to the place He intended, a place of blessing. Still, I was scared. It was hard, laying myself down like that. Ridiculously hard. I knew my God. I knew who He is. I knew His heart toward me. And I knew where I’d end up if I followed, but what I did not know is what that narrow rocky road would look like along the way, and quite honestly that scared me. “I feel like I’m falling apart,” I wrote in my prayer journal, sometime during this season. “[The girls and I] have been sick, my emotions are all over the board, I feel weighed down by…

A Story of Hope

Posted on: October 23rd, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

My family and I attend a church here in Reno called Life Church. It’s an amazing church full of people sold out for Jesus. And I love that! Our pastors have been teaching a series on hope, using the recently release book The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston. Shortly before the series began, my pastor and I had spoken to one another about bringing my story to our church. And after a while, he asked if I’d be willing to film a short video to be used during this series to illustrate the truth that hope can be found on the other side of tragedy. To show that God does, in fact, work all things for good for those who know and love Him. I’m sharing that video here with you today, and I pray God uses it as He intends to bring greater perspective and hope and light to those who need it. Laurie…

The “Parable” of the Lost Keys

Posted on: October 20th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

Jesus often taught through stories. He spoke in parables––stories intended to teach a spiritual truth––to the crowds gathered to see Him. Scripture tells us that Jesus “told them many things in parables” (Matthew 13:13). All throughout the gospels, we read words like, “He put another parable before them… He told them another parable….” (Matthew 13:24, 33). While He walked the earth, Jesus frequently illustrated truth through the use of story, but I don’t think God’s use of story ended with Jesus’ ascent to Heaven. I believe God continues to speak through story today. Now of course, the Word of God is complete––nothing can be added or taken away from it. It’s inspired by God, and so all things are not only subject to it but must be measured by it. But I do believe Jesus still whispers truth––truth confirmed by scripture––through the stories of our lives. A Little Background My girlfriend…

The Billy Graham “Heaven” Trailer Has Been Released!

Posted on: September 3rd, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 13 Comments

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It’s here! The trailer for Billy Graham’s newest film, “Heaven,” was released recently. It’s the one I had the privilege to be a part of. The film is intended to be used as an evangelistic tool and will be released just in time for Mr. Graham’s ninety-sixth birthday in early November. If you’d like to get involved or if you’d like to see how you might be able to pre-order and use this resource, please go to the My Hope with Billy Graham website. What an honor it was to be included in such an amazing project. Be sure to check it out! If you’re having trouble viewing the video, click here to watch it on YouTube. Any thoughts? Share in the comments.

All is Grace

Posted on: August 21st, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

It’s easy to see the grace of God and be thankful for it in all that is good in our lives. But can we recognize His grace and be thankful in our trials? In the midst of uncertainty and pain? Can we see that everything––the good, the bad, and the ugly––all of it, is grace? Like many of you, my story is not one I would have chosen for myself. For years, I found it difficult to embrace the life I found my self living. But over the course of the last few years, God has opened my eyes to see the thread of grace He had been weaving throughout each and every moment of my life from the beginning. Grace, it turns out, was there all along––through the good and the bad. Grace was there, guiding me throughout my childhood. Grace was there, strengthening me through my parents’ divorce….

Choose Life

Posted on: July 31st, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. – Deuteronomy 30:19-20 We don’t often like to talk about obedience. It’s simply not a popular topic to address. Quite honestly, I don’t think any of us naturally want to obey God. We all seem to have this thing in us that wants to go it alone. To do our own thing. To be masters of our own domain and live our lives however we so choose. Even the thought of having…