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How To Find Strength In Our Brokenness

We all face and struggle with brokenness on our journey — because we are all broken and much of what troubles us comes out of the broken places in our hearts crying out for some sort of relief. When I was writing Heartstone, one of the most difficult chapters to write was telling the story of when I was born with a broken leg. Of course I only remember the event by the stories told by my parents and family members that were there when it happened, but it really sets up a life metaphor that I carried with me for far too long.

As Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt shares, “We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places.” I discovered that more often than not, one’s suffering and brokenness amplifies our helplessness and truly exposes our need for a Savior. In my brokenness I found Jesus and here is that story…

Why Your Testimony Has Tremendous Power

“…for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” (Revelation 12:10-11)

Not trying to label followers of Jesus, but I have noticed two distinct camps. The folks in one camp enthusiastically shares or teaches Biblical knowledge to others and the folks in the other camp have a genuine testimony of what God has done and continues to do in their lives. The folks in the first camp are definitely genuine in their motive but are missing one essential ingredient to being effectively used by God – a testimony.

The power of testimony was prevalent in the early Church and during that time, people were able to give powerful testimony of events and experiences that could only be explained as a work of God. I didn’t know it at the time, but through the encouragement of one of my life mentors I filled up 6+ journals of my adventures/experiences during my divorce. I had no idea that someday these very scribbles would become a book.

How Picking Up Stones Changed My Life

We finished lunch with a couple of other hikers on the back deck of the AMC hut and began our final ascent. It was getting colder, and we began putting on warmer gear as we navigated through more snow and ice. With the thinning of the air, the tighter gripping of the cold, and the thickening silence, an overwhelming desire to run ahead came over me. I motioned to my friend that I was going to run up ahead a bit, which he had no issue with. Closing in on the summit, with my heart pounding and my lungs stinging from the cold air, I somehow knew that a milestone of this journey was at hand. I saw a large rock come into view, converging with my path, and I soon found myself standing upon this large rock. It was as if the Lord had gone ahead and had prepared this place of peaceful solitude and comfort so I could clearly hear His voice without all the other distractions. Standing there upon the rock, I took a deep breath, lifted my head to the Heavens, and began to have a conversation with Him. Time relaxed for a moment. It was awesome.

It was here at this place of desolation, on this rock, on this mountain, where He spoke to my heart. Do you want to know what He said to me? He asked me to collect four stones when I got to the top of the mountain. So, standing in my own strength, leaning on my own understanding and ending the tranquil scene He had prepared for me, my response was, “You want me to do what?”

10 Life Lessons From Hacksaw Ridge

Finally had the bandwidth to sit down, without distractions, and watch Hacksaw Ridge on Amazon Prime Video for the first time. Wow, what an incredible movie! The movie is Mel Gibson’s re-telling of the true story of Private Desmond T. Doss, an Army medic in WWII (Andrew Garfield) who served during the Battle of Okinawa without carrying a rifle into battle.

Spoiler Alert

Before the epic battle scenes, we get a glimpse into Doss’s life where he experiences the destructive nature of violence as a child which become the building blocks to his steadfast belief. Still, because his brother and other boys in town enlist in the war effort, Doss does the same — much to the dismay of his new girlfriend Dorothy (Teresa Palmer) and his veteran father (Hugo Weaving).

Doss excels in boot camp, outperforming most of the other men, but standing his ground in refusing to handle a rifle causes tension with his peers, Army leadership and his drill sergeant (Vince Vaughn). Taking this position puts his future in the Army at the mercy of a court martial. His entire unit questions if he can serve his country and have their backs without carrying rifle into battle until he more than proves himself when his company confronts the Japanese in the Pacific theater.

Why The Resurrection Offers Hope For A Brighter Tomorrow

Having a right set of doctrines is not enough. This truth was put to the test in the trials and storms of my journey, and it drove me beyond my superficial acceptance of the truth into a deeper understanding of God’s very nature.

Did you know that the core of Christianity is not a set of philosophies, a religion, a world view, or even the teachings of Jesus? It’s the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus is alive and He cleared the way for us to have an intimate relationship with the living God. We spend a lifetime in hopeless pursuit of everything else expect God, ignoring that the very heart-cry of our soul is for a relationship with Him.

We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.

—A. W. Tozer

Do you have a clear and accurate picture of who God really is?

Do you really know God? Do you?

How To Find Strength In Our Brokenness

Why Your Testimony Has Tremendous Power

How Picking Up Stones Changed My Life

10 Life Lessons From Hacksaw Ridge

Why The Resurrection Offers Hope For A Brighter Tomorrow

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Never Out Of The Fight!

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