Author: Laura Crosby (Page 36 of 54)

When Jesus Doesn’t Show up and Something Dies

January 25, 2016 /

Years ago I had a dream I believed was from God. There was a quiet Holy Spirit whisper.

I trusted Him (I thought).

I worked hard. I asked the right questions. I got the right permissions.

I was affirmed for my gifts in the area of my dream. I won awards.

And then, painfully, my dream was demolished by a series of choices outside my control.

A friend said it was like I walked out into an intersection I had been told was safe and was run over by a mack truck being driven by people I trusted.

I waited expectantly for God to swoop in and fix everything.

But God was silent.

He didn’t right the wrongs. He didn’t correct the injustices. I was left with the death of illusions, trust, and my dream.

Jesus lingered “somewhere else” and didn’t show up in time.

Like in Monday’s post, God didn’t make sense to me.

I think all of us have times when God has seemed inattentive, uncooperative, or late. What do we do when Jesus doesn’t show up and something dies? Continue reading

Three Questions to Ask When God Doesn’t Make Sense

January 18, 2016 /

It was January cold. I was 14-years-old and a brand new Christian, bravely bubbling over with faith and excitement about Jesus, reading my cool Bible and believing and praying.

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My friends were new to this Jesus too. Together faith was a daily adventure of new discoveries.

One frigid Friday night, we were bouncing along on a yellow school bus with our youth group down dark rural roads  heading to a ski weekend on the slopes of what pass for “mountains” in northern Wisconsin.

Jostling, laughing, gossiping, singing in the back of the bus, we were having a great time til someone bumped into me and a contact popped out of my eye onto the dark, sooty grit below our feet.

This is not a crisis except if you’re a teenage girl who wouldn’t be caught dead in glasses. (Plus, contacts all those years ago were darn expensive)

Everyone dropped to their knees, scouring the gross, wet rubber floor for the tiny piece of clear plastic.

We. Looked. Forever.

Nothing.

Still on our knees, we were ready to give up when one of my fellow newbies ventured, “You guys…What if… we pray???!!! Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?”

We closed our eyes, and my friend said, “Lord we can’t find this contact. You know where it is. Please help us.”

I literally opened my eyes, looked down, and astonished, picked up the lost contact.

We were ecstatic.

The creator of the universe – God Himself! – heard and responded to a few teenage girls with a little faith.

To this day I have no doubt that God graciously intervened on our behalf.

Fast forward to last year at this time. My brother David was diagnosed with Melanoma. Continue reading

Soul Food Friday

January 15, 2016 /

It’s Friday! You’ve made it!

If you’re anything like the folks around me, it’s time to celebrate the small victories of the week –

that time you took a brave step even when you were afraid,

the time you prayed first,

the time you forgave when you wanted to lash out,

the time you listened when you wanted to scream…

For me it’s been a week of abundance, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Hope you enjoy some of these morsels that have delighted, inspired, or motivated me this week. Continue reading

For Days When you Feel Anxious, Scared, or Overwhelmed, part 2

January 13, 2016 /

Monday I wrote about the hard days when you feel like you’re between a rock and hard place with no way out, and it can feel like you’re doing something (everything!) wrong.

But what if hard doesn’t mean wrong?

What if hard means that God is birthing something new and beautiful in you and what you’re experiencing is labor pains? 

What if He is birthing strength, dependence, a deeper understanding of His character, patience, love…?

 Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? Isaiah 43:19 MSG

Continue reading

For Days When you Feel Anxious, Scared, or Overwhelmed, Part 1

January 11, 2016 /

The winter stretches out before us here in Minnesota – long, gray, and frozen.

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The other day I stopped by to visit a young friend who’s in a dark time, a very wintery time.

She feels overwhelmed, and anxious, “not enough”, and scared.

Everything feels so hard and she’s tempted to look at all the sparkly, easy-breezy lives on Facebook and despair that she alone is struggling to adapt to a new season.

I know this feeling. I’ve been there.

It’s in these vulnerable times that I picture Satan chuckling with glee.

What are some of the lies the Enemy wants us to believe when life’s hard? Continue reading

Soul Food For a Winter Weekend

January 7, 2016 /

On Friday Soul Food posts I try to share things that have delighted, inspired, or filled me. Hope you enjoy!

Christmas is over, decorations packed away, and kids back in school. The twinkle of the holidays that could distract us from angry politicians, racism, and world conflict is no more. We may be feeling a little let down and we really need some uplifting stories, books to curl up with, and healthy comfort food. Continue reading

Everyday Grace and the Fingerprints of God

January 6, 2016 /

Daughters Katy and Maggie and son-in-law Austin have gone back to the coasts – D.C. and San Francisco.

It finally snowed here in Minnesota (righting a cosmic wrong).

Christmas is over and I’m feeling the let-down. I’m sitting by the fire in our kitchen at dusk with a cup of hot chocolate as I write this.  Maggie insists I call it hot chocolate instead of cocoa.  No idea why.

The Christmas decorations are packed away til next year.  Ornaments made with chubby hands and glue of love.  Unusual baubles brought from far flung places.  Decorations marking special times.

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As I pack up Christmas I feel so conflicted…

I love and hate this time of year.

I hate it that it’s the end of my favorite season.  The end of twinkle lights and anticipation, shining stars and awe-struck shepherds.  Putting things away is such a mark of endings, while Jesus is the celebration of new beginnings that I love.

Jesus.  Every-day grace and fresh starts.  Every day.  Not just at Christmas and not just at New Years.

As I’m taking down decorations and wrapping up the creche I get to thinking there’s really no way to pack Jesus away.

I think of this Frederick Buechner quote: Continue reading

4 Ways to Help One Word Make a Difference in 2016

January 4, 2016 /

If you have chosen One Word in the past I’m curious what your experience has been like. How meaningful or transformative has it been?

Honestly, my experience has been varied. “Fearless” was a good, focused year. “Choose life” was a little too broad.

There is certainly nothing magic about choosing One Word, or making resolutions or having goals with strategies. Don’t do it if you feel it doesn’t work for you. There are different seasons of life that make this practice more or less do-able. Read my friend Maggie’s thoughts on No Word 2016 here.

I love this line I ran across by Alia Joy  : “No resolution will ever complete what grace has already done for me.”

But  we do see in Scripture, the value of paying attention, the value of leading an examined life, of keeping step with the Spirit as we cooperate with God’s transforming work in our lives. How we do that can be as individual as we are, but I’m giving One Word another go for 2016.

This year I have been so captivated by the Message translation of Romans 8:15 and the phrase “adventurously expectant”, that I was tempted once again to choose two words. But as I studied the verse further, it struck me that the only way we can truly be “adventurously expectant” is if we trust our Abba – our “Papa”.  And the only way to trust Him is to know Him.

So I’m choosing the whole verse, AND the two words – “adventurously expectant”, BUT if you force me to conform and choose One Word, maybe I’ll say “Papa”. Call me a rebel.

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In the past I haven’t been super clear on how I wanted to interact with the whole One Word thing, so this year I want to put some  commitments into place.

Here are 4 ways I’m investing in One Word that I hope will make it more impactful. Maybe they’ll help you too. Continue reading

What’s Next Papa? part 2

December 30, 2015 /

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Monday I posted about looking back over the past year, and looking around at where we are now. But what about our “What’s next Papa?” from Romans 8:15?

Often we set goals or make resolutions at this time of year which is great, but in addition, three years ago, I started choosing “One Word” for the coming year.

“One Word” is a lens through which we may view the coming year. It’s both inspirational and aspirational.

If you’re interested in choosing One Word, here are some questions that may help you as you reflect and pray about what yours might be:

  • What character quality do you think God wants to nurture in you?
  • What does your soul long for and what do you need?
  • What challenges are you aware you’ll face in 2016 and how might they inform the word God might have you choose?

Regardless whether you choose “One Word” for your 2016 or not, there is a word in Romans 8:15 that I hope will encourage you in the new year.

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 “Papa” – do you realize all that is behind that one word? Continue reading

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