More than Unbroken

 I’ve spent a glorious weekend in New York with my best friend. Some folks (my family included) thought I was crazy to want to visit the city that never sleeps. The truth is, I am fascinated with the history and culture of the crossroads of the world. The fact that I’m a total theatre nerd just makes it a perfect place for me to visit. Would I want to live here? At one point in my life, I might have said yes. There is so much immersion into the arts that I could literally lose myself if this were my home. Along with this artistic culture, however, there have been some pretty extreme compromises. For example, Greenwich Village became the epicenter of the LGBTQ movement and has unashamedly spread into the island of Manhattan. Humanism has largely overtaken the religious mindset as New York is filled with people seeking knowledge. Humanity is worshipped instead of the One who created humans. I do love this city. I love the buildings and street markets. I love the small bookstores and ...

O Lord, I give my life to you. (Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Using life experience to write authentically can be a challenge sometimes. It's easy to put out content when there is a stressful situation or even a raw emotion. But God, in His infinite grace, gives us moments of respite. We have time to catch our breath, stop worrying, and be present in the goodness of God. It's in these seasons of peace that we have to be careful not to become "less-dependent" on God. I know I have been guilty of letting my guard down in the past, and the enemy finds a foothold to smother me. Before long, I am wondering where God is while it was actually me doing the wandering. Life can be difficult. But I'm also afraid that, too often, we glorify the difficulties and the fact that we as human beings are fallible instead of giving glory to the Giver of good days. Obviously, there are extremes on both sides. Every day is not perfect, but every day is not bad. I've often told my childr...

Witness. Such a simple commission that Jesus left for us. Tell the world about His resurrection and about God's love for them. Are you doing it?  I never felt like witnessing was something I did well. As a kid, I was a bit over-zealous (I know this may come as a shock to some of you who have know me since childhood), and I ended up pushing people away. When I reached my teen years, I wanted to fit in, but my Christianity showed. Then my world changed and my heart became hard. I began building walls. I was able to play the part of the Christian, but my heart was growing cancerous bitterness toward God and others that no one knew about except me. Fast forward several years, marriage, and two children later. God, with the help of my husband, showed me grace and unconditional love when the ugly parts of what was inside of me began to reveal themselves. I should have been rejected for the haphazard way I lived. But God gave me another chance. And the change was so real.  And all of...

See below for today’s VLOG post. © Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.

What is impossible for people is possible with God. (Luke 18: 27 NLT) I love God’s timing. As I considered my struggles over the last few weeks, I jotted some notes down this morning, including the title of this post. Being “enough” is something I have wrestled with my whole life. I feel responsible for my own actions and, when I’m weary, default into feeling responsible for others' emotions. Years of therapy has taught me that others are beyond my control or responsibility. But there is a backstory for today's insight. Over the last few weeks, I have sensed some serious spiritual battles, especially at work. I love my job, and I truly believe that I am called into this profession. A number of things-beyond my control-have seeped into my mind and being, causing this “yes girl” to become engrossed in what is outside of my zone of responsibility. I have blurred the boundaries in the name of spiritual gifts so much that my empathetic self has literally taken on the difficulties of...