“The angel replied,
‘The Holy Spirit shall come upon you,
and the power of God shall overshadow you;
so the baby born to you will be
utterly holy—the Son of God.’“ Luke 1:35 TLB
💞 Articles/Blog Posts That Inspire Hope and Healing 💞
💞 Hard Times? How to Hear God’s Song Louder Than Any Hard Times – Ann Voskamp’s guest post by Aubrey Sampson – “In a world full of hate, abuse, and game change, God doesn’t avoid or ignore pain. He sings a louder song over it. And He invites His hurting people to sing with Him.”
💞 It’s Okay to Process Your Loss– Dolly Lee shares about learning self-compassion toward our hurts. To God, suffering is suffering, and He doesn’t compare one to another. – “When we don’t deal with what is inside us, it tends to result in other harmful attitudes and actions.”
💞 You’d Never Know It From Looking At Her – Alia Joy shares honest truths about the hidden pain of mental illness. – “Sometimes it’s hard to be the one in line for your antidepressant, or anti-anxiety meds, or in my case all of the above with an added antipsychotic to control my bipolar disorder. Sometimes we don’t want a consult, we just want a connection. We just want to know it’s ok. We just want to know we’re not alone.“
“The more often we see the things around us –
even the beautiful and wonderful things –
the more they become invisible to us.
That is why we often take for granted
the beauty of this world:
the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds –
even those we love.
Because we see things so often,
we see them less and less.”
Joseph B.
Again, some awesome pics from my brother. 🙂 Thank you, John!
Yes, Big Bertha is really the name of this cactus!Cactus Wren’s HomeCactus Wren’s NestGreat Horned OwlGreat Horned Owl Facts
❤ “How radically must we rework our own self-image if we accept ourselves as loveable – as deeply, passionately, and unconditionally loved by God?” – Antony Campbell
❤ “Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.” – Brennan Manning
❤ “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
Thank You
to anyone and everyone who
recommends links, quotes, etc.
Visit this page anytime and let me know if you’d like to add to the words describing Jesus’ love along with a verse supporting it. Remember, there is also a print-out of the original list.
Another verse about Jesus’ Love:
❤ Marvelous Love❤
“And I pray that Christ will be
more and more at home in your hearts,
living within you as you trust in Him.
May your roots go down deep
into the soil of God’s marvelous love. “ Ephesians 3:17 TLB
I am not always able to keep up with the abundance of books that promote hope, healing, and freedom, so I haven’t always read every one I post here and on the Books Page. Though many are on my long wish list. 🙂 Many will be from recommendations of online friends. If you ever know of a book that is not listed and that supports this website’s mission, please let me know. 🙂
The Furious Longing of God
by Brennan Manning
“Imagine a stormy day at sea, your ship yielding to a relentless wind, pummeled by crashing waves, subject to the awesome force of nature. A force that is both fierce and majestic. A power that is nothing short of furious.
Such is God’s intense, consuming love for His children. It’s a love that knows no limits, and no boundaries. A love that will go to any lengths, and take any risks, to pursue us.
Renowned author and ragamuffin Brennan Manning presents a love story for the brokenhearted. For those who are burdened by heavy religion. For those who feel they can never measure up. It is a provocative and poignant look at the radical, no-holds-barred love of our Heavenly Father. It is a message that will forever change how you view God.” (Amazon Book Review)
💞 Articles/Blog Posts That Inspire Hope and Healing 💞
💞 The Truth About You by Lesley – “It can be easier sometimes to present an image of who we would like to be or who we feel others want us to be, instead of living authentically as who we really are.” Lesley shares several truths of who we are in Jesus along with Bible verses that confirm them.
💞 Who God Says You Are: 17 Scriptures About Our Identityby Michelle Bengston – “Throughout my life, the enemy has whispered labels in my ear that I began to identify with and call myself. You’ve probably done that occasionally too.” Michelle shares the negative labels we sometimes identify ourselves with and continues with “but God says..” and proves it with a Scripture verse of the truth of our true identity in God.
💞Only His Wounds Can Heal Us: Breaking Free from Self-Harm by Emma Scrivener – “As contradictory as it might sound, for the self-harmer, self-harm is self-help. So if we’re going to overcome self-harm, we need to embrace the help that God has given us elsewhere — help that does not scar us any further, but slowly begins to heal us.”
“Nature’s beauty is a gift
that cultivates
appreciation and gratitude.” Louie Schwartzberg
Again, some awesome pics from my brother. 🙂 Thank you, John! (My brother kindly gives me permission to share his photos out of his desire to share the joy of nature with others, but as with all photos, I ask that you please do remember copyright laws.)
🐾 50 Most Amazing Natural Wonders in All 50 States– “From the majestic sequoias on the West coast, to the charming Cape Cod National Seashore on the East, you’ll find these 50 natural wonders simply enchanting.”
🐾 Explore.org Live Cams– Awesome! There are so many live cam feeds here of wildlife – birds, bears, African animals, ocean creatures, and more! Also domestic animals.
Visit this page anytime and let me know if you’d like to add to the words describing Jesus’ love along with a verse supporting it. Remember, there is also a print-out of the original list.
Another verse about Jesus’ Love:
❤ Freeing Love❤
“So if the Son sets you free,
you are truly free.“ John 8:36 NLT
I am not always able to keep up with the abundance of books that promote hope, healing, and freedom, so I haven’t always read every one I post here and on the Books Page. Though many are on my long wish list. 🙂 Many will be from recommendations of online friends. If you ever know of a book that is not listed and that supports this website’s mission, please let me know. 🙂
“Christian music icon and forty-time Dove award winner, Sandi Patty has long astounded listeners with her powerful voice. And yet, off the stage, Sandi struggled to have a voice at all.
Through deeply intimate stories of her life and the empowering spiritual truths she’s learned, Sandi offers readers wisdom to navigate the journey from voicelessness to discovering the voice God has given you. With a poignant history of sexual abuse, infidelity, divorce, and crises of self-image, Sandi lived much of her life feeling unworthy of love or value. And like so many of us, she coped by living through the voices of others, allowing other people to prescribe her identity. As she performed around the world, Sandi met others just like her, who hid wounds behind quiet smiles and struggled to live with fractured identities.
Sandi’s warm and invitational writing will draw you to the voice of God who sings over your life saying you are seen, you are loved, and your voice is worth hearing. With timeless wisdom, The Voice will help you uncover your God-given identity and a voice of your very own.
‘God heard my voice even when I couldn’t hear it myself and then his voice broke through my walls and wounds, insecurities and self-doubts. I am voiceless no more!'” (Amazon Book Review)
💞 Articles/Blog Posts That Inspire Hope and Healing 💞
My husband and I lost a loved one (his brother) to cancer. His memorial service was yesterday. So in honor of Adrian and all those who are still fighting cancer, these links share how we can best support those who struggle with it. How we can give them hope and not cause additional emotional pain on top of what they already suffer.
💞 5 Things Christians Should NOT Say to Cancer Patientsby Lee Wilson – “For years now I’ve felt there was a disconnect between the well-meaning reactions of church members toward Christians affected by cancer and other diseases of similar dread.” Many cancer patients hear words that cause emotional pain on top of what they’re already suffering. Lee shares by experience what not to say and some things we can do.
💞How To Support Someone With Cancer by Dr. Michelle Bengtson – From experiencing cancer with both herself and her husband, Michelle has learned these 12 important, insightful tips for supporting someone with cancer.
“The woods would be very silent
if no birds sang except
those who sang the best.” John James Audubon
“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch
that she feels bending beneath her,
still she sings away all the same,
knowing she has wings.” Victor Hugo
I really miss birds during these winter months! My brother’s photos from Arizona truly brighten my days, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy them, too. Thank you, John! 🙂
🐾 Surfbirds– The World Birding Website – lots of beautiful bird photos, great articles, trip reports, blogs, forums, and more
🐾 BirdNote– I love this! BirdNote is a two-minute radio show that combines rich sounds with engaging stories to illustrate the amazing lives of birds and give listeners a momentary respite from the news of the day.
❤ “Tears have a wisdom all their own. They come when a person has relaxed enough to let go and to work through his sorrow. They are the natural bleeding of an emotional wound, carrying the poison out of the system. Here lies the road to recovery.” – F. Alexander Magoun
❤ “It’s okay to cry. Giving in to the tears is terrifying, like free-falling to earth without a parachute. But it’s vital to our wellbeing as we process the deep anguish.” – Lynda Cheldelin Fell
❤ “Tears water our growth.” – William Shakespeare
Thank You
to anyone and everyone who recommends
links, books, quotes, etc.
Freed to Fly 