More than Unbroken

My favorite book of the Bible is Esther. Interestingly, the name of God is not mentioned in the entire book, but I love the bravery of the young Jewish girl who won the heart of the king. I guess it appeals to my girlish notions of the ultimate love story.  However, I want to explore further than just the surface of the story right now. At the very heart of Esther, the Queen and the Book, was obedience. She was orphaned early in life and adopted by her cousin Mordecai. When she was ordered, probably against her will, along with the other girls in the region to be presented to the king as a potential wife, she obeyed her cousin’s order not to reveal her true identity. She kept secret that she was Jewish.  She found favor in the king’s eunuch in charge of the beauty treatments required for the girls, and as a result, obeyed his instructions on selecting only what he suggested in order to win the king’s affection. It worked. Still, she honored Mordecai’s instructions and never re...

We went on vacation this week. It was one of those last minute decisions because we realized that it would pretty much be our only chance to go as a family. The guys love the mountains, so we loaded the car and headed to Gatlinburg.  As the boys have gotten older, it’s been less vigorous trying to keep them entertained while we are here. When they were small, we filled our days with non-stop activities moving quickly from one thing to the next. This time was different. We didn’t have to constantly keep going and moving to see everything, and they were eager to get some rest each night.  Our biggest problem on vacation was finding a spot to eat. Places are still reeling from COVID and have thankfully put measures in place to keep people safe.  And then we saw a tragic story. Missionaries to Haiti died in a plane crash while trying to join their families. Even more, these people weren’t escaping the unrest in the country. They were going back into it because of their heart ...

Since my writing journey began, I find myself journaling and taking notes constantly.  I have a notebook for personal thoughts, unfinished blogs that I don't feel are fully developed, and the notes app on my phone is full of ideas and phrases that I feel are or will be relevant.  In looking back over some of my personal notes in my journal, I found one that I titled "Struggle Day."  The next entry is "Struggle Day Becomes Struggle Week." We have bad days.  Some people have bad days when they don't get their coffee.  Joking aside, there are moments that we are tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Maybe circumstances around us are not what we hoped.  Perhaps a horrific situation has thrust us into a raging battle. I believe that these moments are when God does His best work in us. In my journal entry, I wrote down "using what I know to push past what I feel."  The fact remains that your heart will break sometimes.  Your emotions, an...

 Want to know how to let go and let God?  Watch below... © Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries. All rights reserved.

Admittedly, I am running on fumes.  We spent a week at VBS and this past Wednesday, Lyndon and I trekked off for kids camp with eleven kids from our church.  Exhausted is a word that only begins to describe me at the moment.  And in these moments, I doubt. I doubt the vision God has given me for this ministry.  I doubt whether I am doing enough to be a good wife and mother.  I doubt if I am moving forward in my ministry while I see others around me sprinting ahead.  I doubt if I am giving enough time to my family.  I just doubt. Have you been there?  It's a tough place.  Just when God gives you a moment to celebrate, the enemy creeps in and steals the joy and excitement that God has given you.  And you doubt. For what it's worth, I can take the attack at face value.  Not because I'm super spiritual, but because I've been fighting the same enemy my whole life.  I see his tactics for what they are.  His only desire is to kil...

We’ve just concluded our eighth Vacation Bible School at Northside. It may surprise some of you that we haven’t had more VBS events over the years, but for those familiar to our area, you will remember that Northside was once a daycare facility. This was not conducive to hosting VBS for obvious reasons.   One thing I can say without a shadow of doubt is that Northside is heavily invested in the lives of kids. We believe strongly in pouring the message of Christ into these little ones so they have a solid foundation.    This is one reason Lyndon and I love our church so much. We are blessed that children are not viewed as a disruptive presence but are welcomed just as Jesus himself welcomed and blessed them. Jesus said, “ Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children .” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:14-15 NLT As I look back on our week togeth...

I remember sitting in the floor of our sanctuary at Northside getting ready for Vacation Bible School a few years ago. I was very down because my favorite band, Third Day, was breaking up after 25 years together.  Music is such a huge part of who I am, and the music of Third Day is the stuff of legends. I couldn’t imagine not hearing the iconic voice of Mac Powell with new songs. Then, I was so excited to find out that he went on tour with Zach Williams this year. This time as a soloist. Was it the same experience as a Third Day concert? No. But it was the same guy with a guitar I remember leading a concert that felt more like a worship service. This week he released his new single "River of Life." This post isn't just about Mac Powell, but it gave me inspiration for the blog this week. Keep reading... it gets better... When we think we’ve lost something a lot of times we seem surprised when it turns up again. Or sometimes it doesn’t turn out like we expected it to. For m...