Tag: Suffering

  • I Am With You

    I Am With You

    Exodus 3:11-12 NIV: But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” “I will surely be with you,” God said. I know what you are thinking—what does this verse have to do with my art piece this week? I am teaching the Book of…

  • Shattered

    Shattered

    Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” A few weeks ago, I was part of a panel discussion on using art in grief. I have several art pieces in a show titled “Mending the Shadows” currently on display at the Vernon Filley Art Museum. As…

  • Weary

    Weary

    Matthew 11:28 NIV: “Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Indeed, this verse resonates across time, seasons, culture, age, or gender. Who of us has not found ourselves weary or heavy-laden at times. The Greek word for weary here is to feel fatigued, to work hard, labor,…

  • Secondary Loss

    Secondary Loss

    I know I said I was done with my grief series, but I had to add one more. Last week, I had the most fantastic experience at the “Mending the Shadows” art opening at the Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt, Kansas. The series I did for the show on grief prompted many conversations during…

  • Grief with Hope (Lament)

    Grief with Hope (Lament)

    Lamentations 3:19-23 NLT: “The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies…

  • Grief as Drowning

    Grief as Drowning

    Psalm 69:1-3 NASB: “Save me, God, For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;” One of the things I cherish about scripture is that…

  • Christ as Curse

    Christ as Curse

    Galatians 3:13 NIV: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” I just finished reading Bradley Jersak’s book A More Christlike God. It encapsulated so many profound ideas and will be remembered as one of…

  • Consider it

    Consider it

    James 1:2 NIV: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” This is a favorite quotable verse that deserves a deep dive, and that starts with our understanding of the word Joy. The most helpful definition I turn to is from the Greek word used in this verse: Chara. The…

  • Intro and Chapter 1: Pain and Suffering from the Book Simple

    https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-2y6q2-f6e1ac Who doesn’t love audiobooks!  This is a book I’ve written called “Simple: How Kids Help Us Understand God”.  I’ve wanted to put it in Audiobook format and thought this would be the simplest avenue.  At this stage in my life, I am more likely to listen to a book than have time to sit…