Then I thought of you and me. Although we cannot avoid the brokenness of the world, we have a light that darkness cannot hide. We have God’s love. We are like first responders. Love gives us courage to say, “I’m not turning away. I’m opening my arms and I’ll stand with you. We will love each other through this no matter what.” Love comforts, heals, & never gives up.

As I took my morning walk, the prayer in Ps. 90 became a ray of light to my soul. And I offer it to you, so together, we can offer refuge, comfort and peace – first to receive it from God – and then to share with others, like manna from heaven. Just enough for today. Trusting there will be more tomorrow.

“You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the Lord,
“My refuge. My stronghold.
My God, in whom I trust.”
Under his wings, you find refuge.”

Let us pray this prayer for those who cannot pray today, broken by fear, grief and loss.

And may this prayer become our own, as we lift up our needs to God and each other – and in turn offer to others the peace we receive as we rest in God’s refuge. #prayforvegas

Replenish your soul with God’s peace and prayers, enjoy my book Whispers of Rest http://whispersofrest.com

Being Worried or Depressed Doesn’t Mean Your Faith Is Flawed

Well, friends, today, I’m busting some myths and shining the truth about mental health and faith on (in)courage.

In order to do that, I must be vulnerable about it myself!  So, I hope you enjoy this article and share it with as many people as you can!

Also, I want to say a big thank you – because of your purchase of Whispers of Rest, gifting copies, and recommending it to your friends, thousands have joined the Whispers of Rest Self-Paced Book Club!

With you – my faithful readers – who have my back, I have the confidence that I’m not alone. I can be bold in my writing, speaking and ministry! 

Because of your support for my new book, I can continue doing this ministry as an author!  So keep sharing the message of Whispers of Rest!  Thank you so much!! Your encouragement inspires me to keep creating resources to encourage you to shine as God’s beloved!

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I find it hard to confess that I was emotionally wounded. Because you might question my faith.

Worse yet, you’d probably accuse me of not trusting God enough or tell me that worry is a sin, so I should just stop worrying.

Because if I told you I had been feeling numb, lonely, or depressed, you might accuse me of not praying enough, reading the Bible enough, or applying it correctly.

So, you might be tempted to think that people who read the Bible every day and trust in Jesus and not drugs certainly shouldn’t be suffering from depression.

Or you might think that people who suffer mental anguish don’t have friends or have suffered physical abuse as a child.

But it isn’t true.

I’m here to say mental health issues happen to everyday people — even to believers who are strong in faith and have friends, because it happened to me.

The bad part was the sense of shame some Christians made me feel about my emotional struggles…