My control freak tendency can be the biggest joy killer known to mankind. Ask me how I know. Let’s go back thirteen years to one of the few occasions I actually released control. My husband and I stood on top of an inactive volcano in Maui, waiting for the sunrise. I planned this highlight of our honeymoon for months. We stood at 10,023 feet, and as the cloud cover around us turned bright shades of red and orange, our setting became other-worldly. I huddled next to my husband to Continue Reading
Manna for the Heart That’s Afraid to Hope Again
As I read my loved one’s email, my eyes filled with tears. His words were the culmination of years of prayer and intercession, and my heart was hopeful about his future for the first time in years. Things were going to change. I could see it. A few weeks later, a text message showed up on my phone while I was at church. Although there wasn’t much information in the short sentences, I immediately knew something was wrong. Later, a FaceTime call came. When I hung up, I tried not to cry. Continue Reading
The Danger of Letting Others’ Opinions Distract Us
“God did a good work, Abby.” Tears formed when I heard my friend’s words on the voice message. After a year and a half of working on a book that would be birthed in three months, I was second-guessing everything. Questions about my intentions sent me reeling, and wondering, “Is this what I can expect?” Following God’s call is a constant act of surrender. I used to picture surrender like someone caught in the middle of a crime by a police officer. She throws up her hands, resolved to submit Continue Reading
