In the Midst of Unanswered Prayer ...

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A beautiful post about how even if the midst of unanswered prayer, of heartbreak, of turmoil, God is still there:

"Hard Times?  How To Hear God's Song Louder Than Any Hard Times"

Even if He doesn't fix our problems or do what we thought He "should" do, He's still with us, walking with us through the pain.  

(And if you can't find Him or feel His presence anywhere else, remember that He's always in His Word, waiting to meet you there.)

Most Popular Posts of the Week:

Jill 4 Today: Around the world in 80 breads

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While researching bread-baking around the world, I stumbled on this YouTube channel -  Jill 4 Today  - and I just have to say that I'm really enjoying her.  A lot of fun to watch.  And I love when older women do videos like these because it feels very homey, very grandmotherly.    I'm especially interested in her new series "Around the world in 80 breads."  And I love it that she makes some of these breads for the first time on camera, leaving in the doubts and mistakes and all.  Amusing and charming. Anyway, I'd love for her to actually do all 80 breads, but she doesn't think she'll get to them all.  So if anyone else is interested in this too, support her channel and send her some comments to encourage her to actually do all 80.  It'd be fun to see. Here are the three breads she's done so far: #1 No-knead French bread #2 Icelandic Rye Bread  (just listening to their reactions as they eat it makes me want to try it too) #3 German B...
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Calvin's Contradictions (simplified)

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  In the comment section of a Soteriology 101 post -  Flowers Man Bad  - someone (Simon Peter) was defending John Calvin, quoting him as saying  "the gate of salvation is open to all," making it sound like he thought Calvin really taught that salvation is truly available for all and possible for all.   I replied that Calvin contradicts himself in his writing, and so I wouldn't believe what he said in one place because he would contradict it or qualify it or add another layer to it in another place, changing what he originally said.   Simon Peter replied: " A sign of being a great scholar is the ability to change one’s mind and improve one’s system of thought. Calvin had that ability, as did Luther and many other great theologians.  In this light I would ask you to demonstrate the alleged contradictions from Calvin’s writings?" I'm guessing he thought that I made a baseless, ignorant comment, that I didn't have anything to back me up. And so I...
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Christian Testimony: Evangeline - "My Testimony: Lust, Drugs, Depression, Heartbreak, New Age to Jesus Christ"

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This is Evangeline's 23-minute testimony .  This is her first YouTube video, posted October 27, 2020 ... so let's show her some encouragement! In this video, she shares honestly and openly about how she grew up in a Christian home but drifted from the Lord, getting involved with drugs and men, making mistakes along the way.  She shares how she realized that her self-worth was wrapped up in these relationships but that they were not truly fulfilling to her.  At least not in the way we need to be fulfilled deep in our souls.  Only God, only Jesus Christ, can do that! I think there's a lot of wisdom in what she says about "I surrender!... I can't do this; take it from me!"  That is a point I think God takes us all to eventually - the point of choosing to either let Him be God or not.   It's not always easy.  In fact, it seldom is.  Learning to die to self.  To let God be God. To let go of the things we hold onto dearly, the things we think ...
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A Website Worth Visiting: Hoppers Crossing Christian Church

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I recently found a good website that has lots of information about the dangers and errors of Calvinism:  Hoppers Crossing Christian Church .  (Also try this link for blog post.) I decided to leave a comment for them, telling them a bit about my church's experience with Calvinism and thanking them for speaking against it.  It's always encouraging to find others who have come to the same conclusion about Calvinism that we did, simply by comparing it to what the Bible says.   And they replied with a long, well-written response which I think should be out there for people to read.  They gave me permission to post their response here.  And so here is our brief exchange on Calvinism.      My comment to them: Thank you for taking the time to research Calvinism so thoroughly and for being bold enough to speak against it.  I am currently trying to do the same thing ( https://mycrazyfaith.blogspot.com ).  I'm sure my story is ...
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My "When Anxiety Strikes" Playlist

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In the post "Getting through the 'broken' times," I said that I had made a CD to listen to when anxiety hits.  It has some of my favorite Christian songs on it.   Here are as many of the songs as I could find online, plus some extra.  Listen to some of them when anxiety threatens you.  It really does help to hear godly truths spoken out loud (and to speak them out loud yourself).  And personally, I think godly music helps repel evil, giving you some extra spiritual protection when you are most vulnerable.  They don't like to hear God being praised and Truth being sung! (FYI: Videos are constantly being removed from online.  So if the video is no longer available, type in the name and artist and see if you can find it.  I simply can't keep up with replacing links.) From The City Harmonic: Love, Heal Me  - The song that inspired the title of one of my blogs, Love, Heal Me - my heart's cry for the past year. Fell Apart  - One...
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80+ Bible Verses for Spiritual Warfare

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So I looked at the Sword of the Spirit and the power of using "It is written ..." in this earlier post .  But now I want to provide a bunch of verses to finish that sentence.   When you face trials of various kinds, when you feel like Satan is throwing his fiery darts at you - darts of fear, despair, temptation, doubts, discouragement, etc. - say "It is written ..." followed by a Bible verse that fits.  And let God's Word help you in the battle. If God's Word is truth and it's the truth that sets us free, why do we keep trying to do battle in our own strength and wisdom and resources?   Go to God's Word!  Take it up as the sword it is.  And swing! (Make the verses personal for you.  If it says "Your hope is in the Lord," say " My hope is in the Lord."  Apply God's Words to you personally and speak it out loud.  If speaking the Word is the best offensive weapon we have against evil - along with prayer - then we need to...
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I Know! (My Prayer During My Near-Panic-Attack)

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I just about had a panic attack a couple days ago, Oct 2.  I could feel things spiraling in my mind, in my stomach.  I felt like I was going to completely lose it.   And all over a very small issue (a cavity in my son's tooth that needed to get filled), but it's an issue I've had a phobia about for the past decade or so.  And although my husband can't understand it, th is issue triggers so much for me - my fear of failure, discouragement over trying so hard yet failing anyway, my fears over whether we are eating healthy enough or not (we eat pretty healthy, but it used to be healthier), my extreme fear over losing control (that feeling of having to keep all the balls in the air, and if you drop even one, it's all going to crash down around you), my fear over what the future holds and what I can and can't control, my extreme fear that Jesus won't come back soon and we'll have to stay in this place for a lot longer, my fear over if I will have the streng...
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