katie rose writes

I find myself troubled this morning. Flooded with cares and concerns. It started last night. I take on burdens like a second skin. To put it bluntly, my prideful heart wants to be like God, and this comes out when those closest to me are hurting. I long to help, to fix, to carry it all for them. But I cannot. I become overwhelm, rightly, because my pride breeds ignorance of my own burdens that I'm not laying down. I buckle under the weight of it all, and get so upset because I don't understand anything. I don't understand anything. Sin leaves my heart breathless with pain. Not sin as in my shortcomings like this pridefulness. But Sin (capital S) as in the power that looms over us all, holding the whole creation captive in its grip.  Grace is relentless in its pursuit of us. Freedom can be found if we let grace take us captive. Why do we run?  We are so afraid. I am so very afraid. But even in simply admitting that, the chains of fear loosen. Because grace swoops in

"Hope is nothing else but the constancy of faith." (John Calvin) I've been learning a lot lately about hope and faith. I've been reading through a devotion called Jesus today, and its center is found in the hope we have in Christ. I've been slowing walking through Hebrews, where faith is the forefront of the challenge & encouragement. the unknown author is penning to his audience of persecuted believers. I've been seeing God's immense faithfulness to a faithless, rebellious humanity as I've been in a class on the book of Romans. The biggest lesson I've been learning? Both these concepts are unseen and yet are called upon every single day in order to keep plodding on in our journey with Jesus. Now sometimes, we do get glimpses. God does tangibly fulfill a promise. He provides when we weren't looking. He guides when we weren't seeking. He answers a prayer we had almost given up on. I've been clinging to Hebrews 2:8-9 a lot this s