The Volcano Blew!

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Well ... I knew this day was coming.  The day the volcano blew!  (Explained in more detail in this post.)  And so I think I'll be taking some time off from writing, maybe just adding a few small posts here and there.  I'm not sure when I'll get back to writing, but I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.  Take care and God bless!


[Thank you to Tim from Trader Joe's, for holding me while I sobbed uncontrollably in the check-out line, pouring my pain out to you.  And for praying for me in the parking lot.  Your kindness and emotional support during my breakdown probably saved me from another panic attack.  Thank you!  (I really hope I didn't end up on YouTube somewhere, recorded on someone's phone, balling my eyes out in the store.)]



Several great sermons from Tony Evans, just because I need them:



A few songs that help keep my faith up:

I AM by Crowder  (One of my favorite scenes in this song is at the 2:34 minute mark, when one of the disciples is laying on the floor crying, reaching out to a battered Jesus who's lying near him.  Oh, how I've felt that way so many times these past years, especially now.  Life has repeatedly beaten me down, and I'm laying on the floor crying, doing the only thing I can do - reaching out for the Lord who is nearby - even if it doesn't feel like it - during the painful trials, just hoping and praying to be able to touch Him with the tip of my finger to feel His presence and know that He is there.  Reaching out for the Lord while you're in pain - sometimes that's all you can do.  (And praising Him, of course.)  And sometimes that has to be enough.)

Oh, What Love by City Harmonic  (One of my all-time favorite songs.  Always makes me cry.)     

We Believe by Newsboys  (Such great truths that need to be remembered, especially in the hard times.  It's critical to remember that the Bible's truths trump our feelings and fears.  That the Bible's truths will outlast our feelings and fears.  Someday He's coming back again, and He will right all wrongs, make all bad things beautiful, and heal all hurts.  And that's a truth I cling to.)

Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton  (A wonderful, encouraging song any time of year!)

Burn the Ships by For King and Country  (There will come a day when it's time to stop crying, to pick yourself up off the floor, dust yourself off, put the past behind you, and move forward.  Someday, for whatever trials we're in, there will come a day to "burn the ships."  For the backstory to this song, click here.)

In The Sky by Bob Carlisle, Russ Lee, and Ashley Cleveland  (I am so longing for this day!  Waiting for the Lord's return.  It's what helps keep me going.)

Praise the Lord by City Harmonic  (No matter what you're going through - good or the bad - this is critical to maintaining your faith, to staying near to the Lord, and to keeping evil away as much as possible.  Praise the Lord.  No matter what.  You might not be able to fix the problems that are coming your way, but you can turn the problems into "sacred ground," into a springboard for praise.  You can't choose the hand you're dealt, but you can choose how to play your cards!)

(You can find more great songs in this post: My "When Anxiety Strikes" Playlist) 



And lastly, I just want to highlight a blog that I find so touching, so real and raw: Our Healing Moments.  This is a woman who has been to incredible depths of pain and heartache, who wrestles with God on very deep levels, and yet who still chooses to cling to Him, even when life hurts badly and God doesn't make sense.  I understand where she's coming from, and I can relate to it so much.  Thank you, Rina, for your beautiful heart and artwork, and for your bold, transparent honesty about your painful struggles.  Thank you for letting us see how you walk by faith, moment by moment, through a very painful life.  It makes me feel less alone in my struggles and heartache.   

Most Popular Posts of the Week:

My Panic Attack (repost)

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(Reposted from my blog, https://myimpressionisticlife.blogspot.com , from 2016.   A really bad year for me.) I wrote this in the post called “Random Facts about Me.  Just for Fun!” on my other blog.  It’s #64 on the list.  But I think it deserves its own post.  So I am reposting it here, because it fits with the theme of this blog.   If you’ve ever had a panic attack, maybe you can relate.  I hope not, though.  Because panic attacks suck!             64.   I had a small panic attack three days ago (May 30, 2016).  It’s the first one I’ve ever had and I don’t plan on ever having another one.  [I also once had a minor nervous breakdown during my parents’ very messy divorce.  It was so bad that the only way I could start breathing and stop crying was to flee from everything, to jump in the car with my husband and two kids and run away to the middle of nowhere for a little while.]
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Be Wary Of The Christian Post

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(Written 6/15/18)  Occasionally, I check in with the Christian Post to see what's going on in the world that specifically relates to Christians.  And generally, I've never really had any red flags go up about this website ... until now. A recent article by Stoyan Zaimov, with a title that starts "Christian Lesbian rock star ..." goes on to share this woman's story about being assaulted by a male priest when she was young.   However, I don't think the reason for this article is to talk about the abuse she suffered and her courage in speaking up.  I think this is a deliberate attempt to affirm Christian homosexuality.  The very fact that they put "Christian" and "lesbian" in the title makes it sound like it's indeed possible to be a Christian and a practicing homosexual who sees no need to change. And it seems to me that this article paints her in a heroic light, as though she is in the right and should be applauded and e
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Sermons by Tony Evans (repost)

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(I recently fixed the broken links as well as I could, had to switch some out for others) Tony Evans is my all-time favorite pastor.  He always gives messages that convict, challenge, and comfort.  Here are some sermons that I have listened to or am going to listen to.  For more, simply go to his website by clicking here .  There are so many great ones to choose from. You can't go wrong with any video of his.  I found him to be the most biblically-accurate preacher (especially as I researched Calvinism and found out how wrong it is), who is also great at helping us practically apply God's truths to life. Reversing Anxiety Consequences Keeping the faith when life gets hard Trusting God in a storm How to have strength in your struggles How to overcome your worry How to Get Your Prayers Answered Trusting The God You Believe In God knows what He is doing How the enemy tries to distract you from God's plan Grab your sword The Secret to Powerful Prayer Spiritual Warfare playl
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Help for Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts

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It's so sad to hear about all the celebrities who have recently committed suicide (or about anyone who has committed suicide, for that matter).  My heart breaks for them, for the pain they went through, and for the ones who love them, for the pain they are now going through.  It is truly a tragedy. To anyone who is hurting really badly, who is struggling with overwhelming anxiety or depression, who is considering taking their own lives ... I dedicate this post.  Please, take some time to look through some of the links here.  This is a round-up of some on-line resources or posts about dealing with anxiety or depression, particularly as a Christian. But first: Quick tips for help: If you are desperate for some immediate help and don't want to look through the links I have below, try some of these: 1.   Put on a worship song right now.  Or sing a worship song out loud.  (Or watch some Tony Evans sermons for encouragement, find a list by clicking here .)  If demo
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She hit the nail on the head! Amen, come, Lord Jesus!

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A neighbor just sent this link to me , a video clip (just a minute long) from a woman sharing how she is just done with everything, how she's on autopilot and just wants Jesus to come back again. I absolutely get everything she said and have felt the same way for several years now. Can anyone else relate? Here's a transcript of what she said (I think she voiced what a lot of us have been feeling, like we've been treading water, just trying to get by until the end):  "Does anybody else just ... I'm just, like, checked out of this planet.  I told God today, like, I'm ready.  I've been ready, but I'm like  ready ready.  I don't feel like there's anything that I care about anymore.  I just want to go home.  You know, I just want to be done.   I don't want to battle all of the little battles anymore.  I don't want to pay my taxes anymore - because I know where the money's going.  I don't want to go to the grocery store and spend $40
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My Favorite Live Bird Cams (and a few others too)

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I enjoy checking in on these live bird cams every now and then.  Especially when we are knee-deep in snow and it's 10 degrees outside. Ontario Backyard Cam Sapsucker Woods Panama Fruit Feeders Red Tail Hawks   Bermuda Petrels   Hellgate Ospreys   Savannah Ospreys   Hummingbirds   Great Horned Owls   Southwest Florida Eagle Cam   And here's some more random ones: Live Bird Feeder in Michigan Panda Cam Tropical Reef Cam Cornell Lab Live Bird Cams  (most are in the links above already) Shark Live Cam Lemurs Ape Cam And there's a bunch of wildlife cams to choose from here:   Sportsman Paradise Online
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Should "Satan" Be Capitalized?

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(reposted from my other blog)             I’ve read a lot of things lately where Christian people won’t capitalize the name “Satan.”   They say it’s because they don’t want to give him that much credit or attention.               And while I can appreciate that sentiment, why do I still capitalize his name?             Because the inspired Word of God does.   "Satan" is a name, not an adjective or a common noun.  But a name.  And names get capitalized.  And so if the Bible capitalizes his name, identifying him as an actual being, who  am I to act like I know better?             One author in particular said he barely talks about Satan because he doesn’t want to focus on him in any way.   He doesn’t want to give Satan that much “air-time.”               But the Bible talks about Satan and evil all the time.   It warns us about him, cautions us about him, tells us how to defend ourselves against him and his attacks.      
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For my new friend who's struggling:

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  Thank you so much for talking with me yesterday.  For sharing your hurts, losses, and struggles honestly.  It was a real blessing for me.  Honest, real, vulnerable people are my kind of people, the kind I respect the most.  😊 To you (and anyone else who's hurting or struggling), I dedicate some of my favorite songs, ones that help me when I'm hurting and struggling.  I've had many of those times myself. (You might also like this post:  Healing your soul from Calvinism's damage .) From my favorite band, The City Harmonic  - the band that got me through my hardest times.  Their words became my prayers when I was so broken that I didn't have my own  words to pray anymore.: Honestly  (I understand this) Fell Apart  (My favorite opening line in a song, ever) Oh, What Love  (One of my all-time favorites - grace, forgiveness, mercy, healing, hope, purpose, all wrapped up in His amazing love!) Praise the Lord  (This is the key to getting through painful trials with our f
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Calvinist Hogwash #4 (hell and justice)

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I think that Calvinists who deny double predestination are fooling themselves.  To not choose someone for heaven is to choose them for hell, especially if those are the only two options and if God created them to be exactly who they are for certain reasons (which He didn't, except in Calvinism).   Instead of just admitting that Calvi-god predestines people for hell, Calvinists soften or obscure it as much as possible to make it seem less harsh, less deliberate, than it is: "God passes over people... He just lets them be the sinners they already are... He leaves them to themselves... He doesn't force them to reject Him, He just doesn't give them saving faith..."  (I wonder if they'd try so much to soften it if they thought themselves one of the non-elect.)   It's  really just haggling over terminology because it all amounts to the same thing: I n Calvinism, God predetermined that the non-elect would be who they are and do what they do, and He made sure that
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Two inspiring testimonies: Jim and Rob

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I found these while looking up videos on forgiveness for the next Spiritual Warfare post I'm writing, but I wanted to share these in their own post: "Jim Carrey: Shocking Faith Testimony 'Suffering leads to salvation'"  (5.5 minutes long) "Comedian Rob Schneider discovers Jesus, forgiveness: 'I needed...to be home"  (17.5 minutes long - Well said, Rob!) And here's a bit more about Rob's journey , including two great comments he posted. It's so wonderful to see hurting people come to Christ!
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