Saying Yes to God | Laurie Coombs

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Kisses from Katie Book Review and Giveaway

Posted on: December 3rd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

I just love books, and I’ve decided to share my favorites with you all. Once a month, I will review and giveaway one of my favorite books. I figure it’s a good way to pass along some great titles and give you some insight into what has been influencing me and my thoughts. I hope you enjoy these posts and find these resources to be as inspirational and influential as I did! I wanted to actually do what Jesus said to do. So I quit my life. – Katie Davis Following Jesus’ call to radical obedience, Katie Davis found herself in Uganda––first for a short-term mission trip while still in high school; then for a longer, one-year commitment after graduation to teach kindergartners. But after that year ended––after returning to the States, to her “normal” teenage life––Katie realized returning to “normal” wasn’t possible for her any longer. She had seen too much….

Can Jesus Really Redeem Our Losses?

Posted on: November 21st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

I’ve been finishing my book proposal this week, and it’s almost done, which means it should go out to publishers within the next few weeks! It’s super exciting; I’m just so close, which is why I chose to focus most of my attention on my proposal this week. And it is also why today’s post is a repeat, of sorts. I originally wrote this piece for another blogger as a guest post a while back. Some of you may have seen it, but most probably haven’t, so I hope you enjoy and are blessed by it. I’ll be back with all new posts next week. Thirteen years ago, I sat on top of a houseboat next to my dad watching the sun set behind the towering canyon walls of Lake Powell. Dad half-heartedly joked about how he was getting older, and I was sure to poke fun at his old age. I…

Modern Day Slavery and The Power of One

Posted on: November 19th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

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Did you know there are more slaves in the world today than any other time in world history? [Tweet that] It’s true. There are an estimated 27 million people in bondage across the world today. This industry is extremely lucrative, “representing an estimated $32 billion per year in international trade,” being the third largest criminal industry in the world (Wikipedia). “Men, women, and children are being exploited for manual and sexual labor against their will” around the globe. And what’s even more astounding is that many of the victims are children or young girls who are forced into the sex trade and made to service up to twenty men a day. Tragically, the average age of trafficked victims is 12 years old (source, The A21 Campaign). TWELVE YEARS OLD! This could your child! My child! But regardless of whose child this is, this is unacceptable. Something must be done! When I first…

Have You Stopped at Mere Belief in God?

Posted on: November 14th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

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And [Jesus] did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. – Matthew 13:58 We serve a mighty God. A God who still performs miracles in this world. But do we believe it? God has been inundating my world with one message, lately––BELIEVE ME! Not believe in Me, but believe Me. What would happen if we were to believe God more? It seems many Christians today––myself, at times, numbered among them––merely believe in God and fail to believe God. And there is quite a difference there. Believing in God means we simply believe God is who He says He is. It’s believing in Jesus, the One sent by God the Father to die for our sins. But is that enough? Possibly. It may be enough to obtain salvation. But maybe not, for we’re told, “Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19). So, maybe it’s not enough. But here’s the thing,…

Let’s Surrender, Friends. Let’s Surrender All.

Posted on: October 31st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

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Early on in my walk with God, my friend, Nicole, sent an encouraging word to me as I wrestled with surrendering myself to God. She said, “How hard it is to surrender it all to [Jesus] and let go of all we hold on to, but how powerful our lives can be when we do just that.” She’s right, I thought. Surrendering myself wholly to Jesus was a difficult transition for me. And when I’m being completely honest with myself, I recognize that I still struggle in this area––though by the grace of God, it’s to a much lesser extent. Before becoming a Christian, I was quite controlling. Everything in my life was controlled by me. I was the one in charge. I was the one who made the decisions. And I, certainly, had a way of getting what I wanted. I mostly used kindness and charm to influence others,…

{Guest Post} Kidnapped

Posted on: October 24th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 3 Comments

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Today’s post was written by Donna Weisser, a woman who contacted me recently after having read one of my posts. She has quite a powerful story to share with us about how God has used and redeemed a tragic incident that resulted in her kidnapping and her husband’s murder. I believe this story is only in its infancy, and I am certain God will continue to use Donna’s testimony further, for her good and His glory. Thank you, Donna, for sharing such a painful, yet encouraging message with us all. … As I drove home from work on June 4, 2012, my heart was joyful. There were only 2 more days of school, and then I would be off for the summer and have more time to spend with my husband and my Father who had been hospitalized in May due to a broken back as a result of a fall. I entered into…

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…

{Answered Questions} Does Pain Lead to Sin?

Posted on: October 3rd, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

At the beginning of September, I wrote asking if readers had questions for Anthony, the man who murdered my dad, or myself. And there was, in fact, one question posed by Mark Alman (for each of us). I sent the question to Anthony, and His response (as well as mine) can be found below. ~ For Anthony: “I have been thinking a lot about pain recently and how pain drives us to do wrong things. I believe in my life my most egregious sins were driven by pain. I wonder if you felt that yours were as well?” – Mark Anthony’s response: Yes, Mark. In my life, as well, my worst sin was driven by pain. Men tend to manifest hurt into anger. I think it’s programmed into us! When the Holy Spirit comes into us, we also receive His blessings, or fruit––love, peace, patience, etc––but when we get hurt and…

{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…