If you're struggling with tragedy or loss during this time of year when most seem joyful, I pray this older post brings you comfort and reminds you of the hope that is yours. https://joeyrudder.com/2021/12/23/when-christmas-hurts/?page_id=757
Author: Joey
“The Thanksgiving Table” – a fictional story
The Thanksgiving Table As I started the coffee early Thanksgiving morning, I remembered this day last year when Mom had relinquished the meal to me. It had been a morning much like this one – the house quiet, the view from the window dark with only a sliver of light emerging on the horizon. I’d …
Continue reading “The Thanksgiving Table” – a fictional story
Running Away from God?
When you get tired of running away from God and what He's called you to do, and you finally surrender to Him, you'll see life is better outside of the fish's belly. So much better. "The word of the Lord came to Jonah... But Jonah ran away from the Lord..." Jonah 1:1a, 3a NIV.
Discouragement is a Prison
Discouragement is a powerful tool the enemy uses to keep you down. It becomes a prison filled with lies: You're never going to make it. You're not good enough. You're not smart enough. You can't do this. Why don't you give up already? You're going to make a fool out of yourself. You're a fraud. …
God First
Oh, my friends. Change can be hard, and God's pruning touch can be painful. But when we keep Him first, we will not only endure but thrive. This older post of mine is helping me today as the Lord prunes things from my life. I pray it helps you too, whatever situation you're facing. Keep …
When God is Silent
Sometimes you're met with silence when you go to God.You wonder if you're praying wrong or if God is mad at you. You may even begin to doubt that He cares or, worse, that He even exists.Oh, dear soul, don't entertain those lies from the enemy or let them torment you in those moments of …
Calming the Waves of Grief
Over the past nine months, I've learned grief can come in gentle waves, lapping at my toes and tricking me into thinking, "I can do this. This isn't so bad." Other times, the waves hit me so hard that they knocked me down, threatening to drown me. Sometimes, I even wished they would. I carried …
The Whole World
Sometimes, God moves quietly in your life as He works behind the scenes. Training you privately. Teaching you through His Word in the stillness of your home. He may ask you to keep those lessons to yourself as you treasure them in your heart while the mystery of His plan for your life unfolds like …
The Place of Heartbreak
No one understands your heartache, the worries that keep you up at night, or the physical pain you push past to keep going.And most people don't realize you're hiding behind a smile while slowly crumbling and falling apart on the inside.But God knows.Your heavenly Father knows what threatens to suffocate your spirit and what has …
When God Hits the Pause Button
Things are moving along just fine when suddenly God hits the pause button in the middle of your day, calling, journey, or task.Your plans freeze. Progress halts. You can't move forward, and the harder you try, the more you make a mess out of things. Soon, you're doubting that you're even on the right path.You're …
Joey Rudder 