Healing | Laurie Coombs

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{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…

{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….

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…

Living Joyfully Free Radio Interview

Posted on: July 29th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

Author and Speaker, Lisa Buffaloe, recently asked me to share my testimony on her radio program, Living Joyfully Free. If you’re interested, head over to her website to listen to my interview. (Just as a bit of a heads up: The program lasts about one hour, so be sure to set aside some time or listen while engaging in some other “mindless” activity.) Praying you are blessed this Monday morning! Laurie

{Lessons Learned} Overcoming Evil with Good Words

Posted on: July 12th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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Jesus made it clear. If I were to have any impact on Anthony (the man who murdered my dad), I would have to live out the commands found in Romans 12. Jesus spoke: Repay no one evil for evil. Love your enemy. Overcome evil with good. Yet still, the questions plagued me: How? How do I overcome evil with good? How do I love Anthony? What does it look like? And then it became clear. I was to love Anthony through my words. Words hold power. As Jeff Goins recently wrote, “Words are powerful, painful, awful, and amazing tools. They can hurt, help, hinder, and heal.” I wanted my words to be used for good. I wanted them to bring light to a very dark part of my past. So when I sat down to write Anthony for the first time, I chose kindness over my feelings. I felt a strong conviction that…

Is It Time to Right Some Wrongs?

Posted on: July 9th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

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There comes a time that we need to right the wrongs we’ve committed against others. [Tweet that] I was a baby Christian when this time came for me. Jesus whispered the words “it’s time to forgive,” and I began to search my soul. Anthony––the man who murdered my dad––was the obvious one that needed my attention, but there were others I needed to forgive as well. My unforgiving heart ran deep. There was the girl I hated in high school. There was the man who witnessed for the defense in my dad’s murder trial yet had once called my dad friend. There was my dad’s ex-wife. And there were even some family members. Apparently, this German-Irish girl knew how to hold onto grudges. But it was time to let them go. [Tweet that] As I did, I was given perspective, and I began to see how my behavior contributed to the issues…

{Lessons Learned} Do You See As You Ought?

Posted on: June 25th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

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I was a wreck. “I’ve spent my entire life trying to achieve and set goals for myself,” I told my husband, Travis, “and I’ve hinged all happiness on the achievement of those goals only to continuously fall short of true happiness. It’s like there’s this emptiness inside, but I don’t know how to make it go away!” I felt empty, defeated, depressed, and anxious. And I had no answers. It was a very dark place. Over and over I kept saying, I just want to feel peace. I just want peace. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t save myself. [Tweet that] Blind and Paralyzed Then, I had a dream. I dreamt I became blind and paralyzed. And when I awoke I was perplexed and greatly disturbed. I didn’t know what it meant. Perhaps it means nothing, I tried to convince myself. But still, I couldn’t shake it. Yet, it wasn’t…

{Lessons Learned} I Am Not a Victim

Posted on: June 18th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 9 Comments

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I never intended to be a victim. Shortly after my dad was murdered, my family and I were referred to the victim services department at the courthouse. It was the first time we were called victims. But honestly, I didn’t consider myself to be the victim. My dad was the victim. But somehow, I think the victim thing crept in, and my dad’s death became the defining moment of my life. I didn’t want to be defined by this tragedy, but I was. I became the girl whose dad was murdered. I hated being this person. I hated being a murder victim’s daughter, but as far as I saw it, it’s who I was. I couldn’t escape it. I guess I am a victim, I finally concluded. At this time in my life, I was very much in the world. I didn’t know God, and I certainly wasn’t following Jesus yet….

{LeannePenny.com} Can Jesus Really Redeem Our Losses?

Posted on: June 14th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Today, I’m over at Leanne Penny’s blog, sharing my story, focusing upon loss and redemption. Leanne has quite a story herself. She writes about loss, grief, grace, and hope. I know you’ll find her to be a source of strength along your own journey, so go ahead, check her out! But here’s the question I pose today on Leanne’s blog: Can Jesus really redeem our losses? It’s an appropriate question, I think, one that I struggled with for quite some time. And I hope you’ll join me as I attempt to answer this question in my post titled Can Jesus Really Redeem Our Losses? If you’re joining me from Leanne’s blog, I’m happy you’re here. Welcome! I hope you’ll take a moment and stay a while. One More Thing Okay, I have only one more thing to share, so stick with me! Since writing my post for Leanne, God has given me…