God's Plan vs Our Plan | Laurie Coombs

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{Fight for Faith} Sanctified Stubbornness

Posted on: July 9th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

If you’re anything like me, your faith is not static. You may have times of great faith––faith so strong you’re absolutely convinced your unwavering trust in Jesus will quite literally move mountains. But oftentimes, that very faith seems to diminish over time. It goes out from you, like the air of an untied balloon when let go. Seasons of great faith are simply amazing, and I always think I ought to stay there. I seem to measure my level of Christian-success by how audacious my faith is, but I’m starting to think I have it all wrong. Downswings of our faith can be frustrating, alarming even, but I’m not entirely convinced these challenging seasons are a bad thing. I think we’re all bound to experience moments of failed faith. Times when we seem to be holding on by a thread. When we feel weak and discouraged by our lack of faith. But ultimately, every challenge, every…

When Anxiety and Depression Threaten to Pull You Under

Posted on: March 19th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 21 Comments

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It occurred to me the other day that I haven’t written much about anxiety and depression. If you’ve read some of my early posts, you know that I experienced severe anxiety and depression about five years back, which was ultimately what God used to bring me to Christ. Prior to this, I had been able to get through everything on my own, but I couldn’t seem to get myself out of this one. Honestly, I think God needed to present something to me that I had absolutely no control over for me to finally turn to Him. And though I would never want to return to this terrible place, I am thankful that God did what was necessary to bring me to Himself. But it was such a horrible, dark place to be, and I didn’t know any other person who had been through what I was experiencing, which made…

Do NOT Give Up

Posted on: March 5th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

Have you ever had a moment (or many) when you wonder whether or not God will deliver what you believe He’s promised? I sure have. For the last three and a half years, I have heard God tell me, “Do not give up!” Over and over, “Do not give up! Keep moving forward. Keep moving toward your adoption.” But nothing has happened. We’re still waiting. Travis and I began our adoption with nothing but faith, a desire for more children, and confidence in God’s call to adopt. With no money saved and little to devote to such an endeavor, we took the leap, believing God would provide for what He was calling us to do. And He has. Time and time again, provision has come in one form or another usually at the very hour we needed it. This may be too much information to share, but we’re over $20,000…

What Do You Have to Offer?

Posted on: January 16th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

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Surrender, I hear over and over. Surrender, my child. I try––time and again, I try––but I fail. Full of frustration and defeat, I cry out with one simple word––how? I will work surrender in you. God whispers. Lay down what you have to offer, and I will work the rest. I pray as I’ve been taught––Lord, I am willing that you make me willing to surrender in absolute surrender––because after all, many of us are willing in concept, but when the realities of surrender encroach upon our self-centered desires, willingness begins to wane. For close to a month now, I have prayed and prayed and prayed for God to work absolute surrender in me with confident assurance that God can and will perform His work in me. And He is. He is working. But anytime we pray audacious prayers such as these, we must be prepared for what’s to come….

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

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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…

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…

{Lessons Learned} Sometimes God Leads You Into the Fire

Posted on: September 26th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 7 Comments

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Being a Christ follower is hard. And if you’re truly following Jesus (i.e. submitting your life fully to His leading, praying, asking for His continued guidance), He’s going to ask you to do things you don’t want to do. This was certainly the case when I was called to have correspondence with Anthony, the man who murdered my dad. You see sometimes, God leads you into the fire. Sometimes He asks you to trust Him enough to follow Him into your unknown, scary places. But His intent is not harm. Oh no, His intent is to use your time in the furnace for His purposes in your life. To bring you to a better place. A place rich in beauty and blessings. I, personally, don’t know anyone who has been strengthened through the calm, peaceful seasons in their life. Just as a tree cannot stand until it’s properly “hardened off” by…

{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…

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

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

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“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…