Posts by Joy McLaughlin
Freedom from Shame
Shame… we’ve all felt it… Probably from a very early age. We did something wrong and got caught, and then felt the shame. And then every time that memory comes up, that same feeling returns as well its condescending voice. The shackles of shame are strong and can be multi layered. We can have…
Read MoreHow to Embrace the Season You’re In
Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash If you’ve lived very many years, as I have, you’ve most likely come to understand that we experience many different seasons throughout the course of our lives. Just like in nature, seasons change. Sometimes we welcome the new season, and other times we mourn for the ones that are…
Read MoreThe Mysteries of Grief – Part 1
Today’s my dad’s birthday. He’s 86 years old today, but his last five birthdays have been in heaven. I miss him. Although I have experienced many losses over the course of my life, I find grief and the grieving process to be a curious thing. I can’t speak for anyone else, just myself, but the…
Read MoreMy Five Stones
I don’t know about you, but I tend to have a lot of dreams. I am of the belief that oftentimes God speaks to us through our dreams, so I usually write them down to have a record of them. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a series of dreams where I’ve encountered various…
Read MoreStrong Foundations
Photo by Shahadat Rahman on Unsplash The basement of our house is not finished, but has been relatively dry. If you live in the midwest, you know what I’m talking about. Finished basements can become livable functional space, whereas unfinished basements can be usable, or they can be damp, scary, and the stuff nightmares are…
Read MoreWhat NOT to Do When Your Prayers Aren’t Answered
We’ve all experienced it. We’ve prayed selfless prayers for others believing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God would materialize the answer to our prayer because, after all, it was a “good” prayer to help someone in desperate need of a miracle. But, the answer didn’t come in the way we expected. I…
Read MoreAccuser or Advocate?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not (wink, wink), but our world is in conflict. Conflict is everywhere. It’s played out across the airwaves on TV, radio, and internet land. Adults throwing full-blown hissy fits and politics demonstrating as much decorum as a playground brawl. So, it’s out there in the big, wide…
Read MoreThe Sweet Spot in Marriage
We sit together just enjoying the stillness. We refer to the place we’re in now as the sweet spot. Peace lives here, and this moment is not lost on us. It wasn’t always this way in our marriage. We’ve come full circle, and the sum of the journey would not be complete without each part.…
Read MoreBeauty from the Broken
I find mosaics intriguing. Beauty created from broken. Perhaps you’ve seen table tops made from broken pieces of china or art work made from sea glass formed out of fragments of discarded bottles. Stained glass windows which adorn cathedrals and churches would not be possible without the individual and many times oddly shaped pieces of…
Read MoreIn the Quiet Knowing
We sit across the table from each other. He calls out the heaviness in my heart, and it is only then that I realize its full weight. It’s been a season of change, of loss, of new places, and of growth. The corners of his mouth rise in a gentle smile. The kindness in his…
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