And thank you for all your prayers. This is the first time I’ve lost someone close to me, so it’s been a huge learning experience as well. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

God prepares us for our trials.
As scary and difficult as it was to go through my daughter’s cancer diagnosis and recovery, this time prepared and strengthened me to handle my father’s death. I can even look back to other times in my life and see how they also strengthened me. This has shown me another facet of God’s complete provision.

God is with us in our grief.
During the last week of my father’s life, he was resident at a hospice house. This turned out to be a huge blessing in more ways than one. Just a couple days after he was admitted, I received a private email from a reader, asking for prayer for her marriage. Through our communications, she shared she was a hospice nurse. Though this dear woman had contacted me for prayer, she wound up praying for and encouraging me in my time of need. I know that was God’s provision as well, sending a precious and understanding heart to give me support at a critical time.

God desires us to live without fear.
The strangest realization has emerged in this time of reflection, loss, and grief. Having never lost someone close to me, I’ve feared this kind of loss. As the days progressed before my father’s passing, I experienced God’s constant comfort and reassurance. I realized that I didn’t need to fear the pain of loss or disappointment because God was with me. He will always be there to walk the journey with me. I also realized that in protecting myself from this potential pain, I also handicapped my ability to experience elation. In other words, I will now to dare to dream and not fear disappointment. If I believe God is with me in my trials, grief and loss, then I choose also to believe that God is there working in my dreams and aspirations. I trust he’s the one in control of all that and placed those desires there to begin with. I will dare to dream of the possibilities, and rest in the promise that God will bring all things to pass as he wills in his timing. And it will be good.

My earthly father taught me much on this earth, and in his death, I’ve learned even more, thanks to the provision of our heavenly Father. No matter what we experience in life, we can trust that God will be with us, and we can know that God will bring purpose from our pain and struggles.

In our lives we can persevere, hope, and dream. And we can trust that God is in control of it all, working for our good.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

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“But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” ~ Luke 5:15-16 (ESV)

We live in a new area; we are connected 24:7. We are on twitter, FB, blogs, forums to communicate with other like-minded women. It is wonderful to be so connected around the globe.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with staying connected with everyone; even with my own family in Germany. I don’t want to miss anyone’s news. I want to respond in a timely manner. But this past weekend I did the unthinkable (for me unthinkable). I unplugged; completely unplugged. And guess what?!? It did my body, soul and mind good. For the first time in years I did the things I done before my life online. I read, I studied, I relaxed…

In Luke 5 Jesus starts His public ministry. His life went from quiet to overwhelming in a short few months. He called His disciples, healed the sick, and answers tough questions from His opponents. What I find fascinating though is that He too “unplugged” and plugged-in with His (our) heavenly Father.

My sweet friends, Jesus knew that apart from our Heavenly Father, we loose steam. We are not made to keep going, and going, and going. God gave us the day of rest, but for me, I don’t rest. I mean really rest. Usually on the weekends I catch up on emails, write, and take photos.

This past weekend proved that I need the rest; I mean really rest. Totally unplugging from everything was great and I feel refreshed going into the next week and month. Since this past weekend was so much fun, I have decided to unplug bi-monthly. No email, no twitter, no forum, no FB.

May I challenge you to do the same? Just unplug…maybe you don’t want to do it every other month. What ever timing works for you; do it though. You will see that it will help you to refocus and it will refresh you as well.

Lord of Heaven and earth. Thank You for Your guidance to unplug this past weekend. It was nice to focus on You, literature and family. Lord, help me to take care of myself more often. I do not want to be overwhelmed but be used by You to further Your kingdom. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Photo & Content Copyright © Iris Nelson

The man was not like most men. Instead of offering just a few cows, he offered 10 fine cows to the father in his bid for her hand in marriage. The father gladly accepted the offer.

This created quite a stir in the village. What did this young man see in this particular young lady that made her valuable enough to pay 10 cows for her?  Was there something the villagers had missed about this young woman?  Word began to spread to other villages – there was a 10 cow woman living nearby.

The young man treated his new bride like a queen, for he had paid a queen’s dowry for her. Likewise, the villagers treated the new wife with respect, for she was no ordinary 2 cow woman, she was a 10 cow woman! And all this treatment was effected this young woman, too. She began to act less like a commoner and more like a great lady, for after all, she was a 10 cow woman!

And so it was through great sacrifice and wisdom, that one African man transformed an ordinary woman into an extraordinary wife and took great delight in her.

This is how God feels about us. God, with great wisdom and through great effort and sacrifice, has transformed a group of very ordinary sinners into an extraordinary bride for Himself.  Isaiah calls this woman Zion, today we’re called the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Look at this beautiful passage from Isaiah 62:2-5 (NLT) and see how He feels about you.

“The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the LORD’s own mouth.
The LORD will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
Never again will you be called ‘The Forsaken City’
or ‘The Desolate Land.’
Your new name will be ‘The City of God’s Delight’
and ‘The Bride of God,’
for the LORD delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,
just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

He has saved you and made you righteous. Like the African man with a 10 cow wife, His extraordinary payment shows your great worth, proves His ownership and provides protection. He holds you close and crowns you as His radiant bride, giving you a new name – Hephzibah – meaning God delights in you!  Rejoice in that today. Rejoice in God’s delight over you.