More than Unbroken

These last two years have left us weary and constantly questioning the next bad news. But there have also been blessings great and small.   I have talked before about seasons and how life is an ebb and flow of good seasons and challenging ones. Many of us have experienced overwhelming challenges this year and last. Some have been life-altering. Some have nothing to do with a pandemic. In any situation, can you still declare that God is good? You see, friend, we are guaranteed troubles in this life. Jesus says so!  “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Fortunately, He wasn’t finished when he proclaimed that we would have troubles. He tells us to take heart. This means we should be encouraged. Then He gives us the reason why we should be encouraged. Jesus Himself has overcome the world.  This may not seem like a big deal, ...

 Click the video below for your encouragement for the week: © Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.

In effort to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, I got to thinking about things that have been implemented over the years to celebrate the season. One of my favorites is stockings. I remember as a little girl going to my Grandmother's house and being so excited over the unexpected treasures that I would find in my stocking. These weren’t necessarily things that I asked for. They were just small little trinkets. The stockings we have now are very special. A dear friend of ours stitched them out of a pair of Lyndon‘s old jeans.  As I thought about stockings, I began thinking about what stockings represent. Stockings represent expectancy.  The first Christmas, the Jewish people were expecting some they didn’t know what to expect. They prayed for a king and hoped for a warrior that would come in and redeem them from the oppression of the Roman occupation. Little did they know that a young girl would give birth to a tiny baby boy in a stable. This certainly wasn’t exactly the m...

It's the most eventful time of the year! Don't get me wrong, I love this season. Being with family and friends is always special. Family traditions are carried out each year and give me a sense of security in this crazy world. And, most of all, we celebrate the birth of redemption for humanity. Jesus Christ, God with us, came to earth and died so that we may live eternally with Him. What a gift! Even so, I find myself scrambling among the frenzy of Christmas performances, parties, shopping, wrapping, baking, and getting lost in all of the busy-ness of the season.  This weekend, for example, I have attended a Christmas performance, gone shopping for Christmas, wrapped presents, and tonight realized I had forgotten to pick up some meats that I am helping prepare for my son's high school Christmas festival tomorrow night. Needless to say, the day, and the busy-ness, has been a little tiring. As I was driving into town this evening to retrieve the items for tomorrow, I remember...