Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Bio’s
  • Contact Us

The One Who Expects the Unexpected

12.17.2019 by Megan Abbott //

Merry (almost) Christmas!  I am so excited to join the team here at Facets of Faith, and am thankful to have been welcomed warmly by all of you that already know Jen and Tracy.  I look forward to meeting you here each month. Check out what Jen had to say last week about Expecting the Unexpected here, and Tracy’s thoughts here. I pray that our words will find you wherever you may be this Christmas season, and that God will show himself to be just a step away.

Expecting the Unexpected (Megan Abbott)

‘TIS THE SEASON

It is the season of mesmerizing Christmas lights, cheesy movies with all the happy endings, gatherings with friends and family, gifts, and lots of Christmas cookies.  This is the time of year when I love sitting in my apartment, surrounded by warm Christmas lights, covered in blankets, and drinking tea. There is something about it that just feels homey.  It may also be that it is typically so cold I dread going outside, but we can ignore that.

For me, the holidays tend to have this cloud of expectation around them.  I travel to see my family each Christmas, so there is always this building of anticipation leading up to the day I leave.  So many expectations for family time, traditions, friends, friends’ super adorable children, home cooked meals with my family, and everything that goes along with seeing people you miss most of the year.  

UNMET EXPECTATIONS

Not every year goes to plan, though.  If nothing else, it seems inevitable that the 8 hour drive turns into 9.  I feel like this year especially there are so many of us are in the midst of something that wouldn’t make that list of hopeful expectations.  What about the first Christmas after we have lost someone we love? The Christmas where we aren’t able to be with those we love? The Christmas where we are aching for family healing, a spouse, children, financial provision, or healing of sickness?  Contrary to how we may feel while watching all the movies with perfect endings, this can be a really, really hard time of year.

SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES

As I have been working through the thoughts and scripture God put on my heart for this month, I was encouraged by a friend to consider the shape of a V.  As I am standing at the bottom point of the V, looking up to God with all my expectations, I may feel muddled that they don’t look like where I actually am, but what if we consider God’s perspective from the top of the V and look back at where we are from His view?

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:16‬ ‭NLT

God expects the unexpected.  He sees us. It doesn’t take away the hurt, disappointment, or tears, but it feels good to know that the Creator of the earth, and everything in it, isn’t surprised.  He isn’t surprised by the point where we stand today, or where we will be a year from now. He sees our refinement. He sees us learning to love through hard situations. He sees us leaning on him through our unmet expectations.  He sees us.

LAUGHING AT GOD

I really relate to Sarah in Genesis 18.  Talk about unexpected, she literally laughed at God when she heard where her life was going.  

I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my husband is also so old?’

Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, ‘I didn’t laugh.’ But the Lord said, ‘No, you did laugh.’”  Genesis 18:10-15 NLT

A couple chapters later, we see that Sarah had a baby, exactly when God said she would.  She laughed again. This I can relate to. Not the having a baby part, but the laughing because God did the unexpected thing I had laughed at in the first place.

FINDING REST WITH THE ONE WHO KNOWS

We aren’t promised we get everything we pray for, or that the pain will go away this Christmas, but we are promised God knows where we are. He hasn’t forgotten, and He is Immanuel (God with us).  Whether it is big, scary, painful, joyous, or somewhere in between, we can expect the unexpected knowing nothing surprises God. We can find rest with Him.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A little closing consideration for the Facets family:  Why don’t we as the church reach out to those around us and show them we see where they are too?  If someone around you needs family this Christmas, can you be the unexpected family for them?

Thanks for stopping by.  Take a minute to comment below, share us with a friend, or find us on Facebook! Subscribe and we will happily meet you in your inbox each week.

Signature: Megan Abbott

Categories // Expecting the Unexpected, Megan Abbott's Perspective Tags // Christmas, Expecting the unexpected, Genesis 18:10-15, Holidays, Matthew 11:28, Megan Abbott, Psalm 139:16, Unmet Expectations

Expect the Unexpected

12.05.2019 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to FACETS of Faith, friends! Snuggle up under a cozy blanket and see what God has for you in this season. We pray each week you visit these pages God meets you and speaks to your heart fresh, alive, with challenge and encouragement. We pray He gifts you with nuggets of His love and guidance regardless of which one of us He has given a message to. Check back next week to see what Jennifer writes and stay tuned for a special announcement from the team! (It feels appropriate considering our topic.)

Expecting the Unexpected (Tracy Stella)Life isn’t always what we thought it would be. Sometimes that’s good. Sometimes it isn’t.

There have been moments in my own life where I wondered, “How did I get here?” The times when my life was in a ditch. The times when my life was exhilarating and full of hope and joy.

Both are curious.   But if one thing is true, we can expect unexpected moments.  None of us knows what lies ahead.

Granted, there are some truths we can cling to as believers. If we have accepted Christ, we know where we ultimately will abide for all eternity. There is absolutely comfort in that truth. Death was defeated thousands of years ago by the sacrifice Jesus paid on the cross.

He has saved us and called us to a holy life─not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.─1 Timothy 1:9-10 NIV (emphasis mine)

Some things we can bank on. God’s destruction of death is one of them.

It’s also a sad truth that if one doesn’t come to choose Christ, he or she will eternally reside in hell.

God’s grace and mercy will keep reaching for the children He so desperately loves. But He gives us free will to choose. We can choose life, or we can choose death. Ultimately, we decide our fate.

Beyond those two truths that feel extreme─I suppose because they are–one rich and full of experience with Christ, the other sad and full of despair. I can’t imagine hell for anyone, least of all for those I love.

I pray each one chooses to know Christ and can expect to live with Him for all eternity. I join you in praying that very thing for those you love and care for too. In Jesus’ name.

But what about when we are here on earth? There are a whole lot of unexpected moments while we are still here.

Would we really want it any other way? Do we want to know moment to moment what God is up to? Or do we want some anticipation, some excitement at the unknown He is bringing us to and through us? (Remind me to tell you how disappointed I was the year I secretly unwrapped all my Christmas gifts and then pretended to be surprised. Yeah, I was on Santa’s naughty list that year for sure! And my peeking took away from the wonder of Christmas.)

If we weren’t built for anticipation, why would we even bother wrapping gifts and setting them under the tree?  We could just tell people, “Here’s what you’re getting.”

Where’s the wonder in that?

What would life be like if we looked at every unexpected moment as a present wrapped with Love in Love for the purpose of wonder?

Expect the Unexpected – A Present Wrapped with Love in Love for the Purpose of Wonder

What if unexpected moments were the very thing to bring us to our knees and come to know our God? That was the case for me and for many of you too, I’m sure. Had those moments not happened, I wouldn’t know the immeasurable love of a Father who loved me before I was even born.

He has plans for me and you that we can’t fathom. Part of His plan absolutely is to save us to Him, to His heart for us that exudes generosity. It’s the most beautiful, unexpected, and undeserved gift we could receive. But isn’t that the beauty of a gift when it is given generously? It’s an unexpected, sometimes overwhelming surprise at the goodness of it. We could never be good enough to earn it, but because God loves us THAT MUCH, He reaches for us in our most unexpected dark moments of despair.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.─Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

We are called to be curious and adventurous to know what those thoughts and plans are!  For someone like me, I love being granted permission to be curious and adventurous. Stepping into the unexpected, opens a great big adventurous world for us to experience.

As we grow to really know His love, He will leave us in wonder and give us courage to be bold. Those who question His love haven’t experienced it. While we might not understand it when we do, experience of His love changes us forever.  We wonder how we ever did life without knowing this love.  It’s there. Right there. For each of us.

If you hear His whisper, let Him in. That goes for all of us, whether we know Him or not. If we know Him, let Him into your heart further. If you don’t know Him, give Him a chance. I can promise you this: If you go to Him with a pure heart, He will meet you right where you are. It’s okay to be curious. It’s okay to have questions and doubts. God can handle those. He knows faith is hard, because it requires trust. And until we know Him and have experience of Him, that can be hard, especially if someone has violated our trust.  God is not like us. We are made in His image, not the other way around. Borrow His courage. Borrow His strength. He’ll give them, and many other unexpected gifts that help us get through our darkest hour.

Expect the Unexpected – A Present No One Wants and Then What?

This morning I’d been reflecting on some tragic news I heard. The situation seems unimaginable. It was an unexpected event no one could have anticipated, even in their best efforts to do the right thing, to serve others in love, when up out of the abyss this terrible thing happened. I wept for them. It’s that horrible. My spirit grieved for them.

These are the moments when people who don’t walk with God question why He allows bad things if He is good.

Not every event is from God. We do have an enemy. The enemy is not good. He doesn’t have good intentions. He would love nothing more than to destroy every good intention, every beautiful mission from God. The enemy would love to silence us. However, God says, “Sing through a storm, lovely one.”  Praise is one powerful weapon!

We need to remind satan he has been defeated. And as horrible as this tragedy is, any unimaginable tragedy, God has given us a very powerful gift. Several come to mind, actually.

We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We can choose to believe what His word says to us. We have free will. We have the ability to make a conscious choice to know and believe and trust in God’s goodness.

For those of us who have been walking with God for awhile and these unexpected moments happen, the kind we’d like to run fast and far from, remember God’s faithfulness. Remember every good and perfect gift God has ever given you.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change life shifting shadows.─James 1:17 NIV

God doesn’t change. He is unwavering and unshakable.  He is good and He gives good gifts.

Those truths have helped me through hard, unexpected moments. I didn’t see “it” coming. I couldn’t have, really. My world was shaken, but I was able to stand because God is unshakable. I could stand in His shadow, His strength. I’d experienced Him enough to know He is faithful. So as tough as that season was, I knew God would help me through it. And He did.

He allowed me time to rest and grieve. He gave me the gift of processing all my thoughts and emotions with Him, safely, where I could be real and raw and completely vulnerable.

The ability to be ourselves, good, bad, sad, mad, joyful, silly, all of whomever He made us to be and allows us to experience, is a gift He gives us. Be you – beauty and blemishes. We don’t have to be what anyone else wants us to be. We don’t have to put on our poker face and pretend with God. He doesn’t want that. He wants the real you, the real me, surrendered to Him and ready to receive His love, comfort, leading, guiding, teaching, and healing.

God reassures me the dream He gave isn’t dead. It’s just dormant. Sometimes we need to wait. We need to expect the unexpected WILL HAPPEN when we least expect it.  Like the first blossoms of spring that turn into a full-on explosion of life as the trees emerge from a long winter, dreams can (and do) jump to life in what can look to outsiders like an overnight “success”.  Really, those dreams were cultivated in the deep soil of time spent alone with God preparing us for what’s next.

When we don’t like where things ended, turn the page. God’s not done yet.

I look at how God used that negative, unexpected experience and used it for my good. I don’t think God was the author of what happened to me, but I do think He is writing the last word on it.

I can share this much with you. He took that situation and He worked it for my good. I DO love Him and He was (and is) faithful to His promises.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.─Romans 8:28 NIV

This promise isn’t only for some of us, the “holy ones”, the ones who seem to be so “spiritual”. Nope! The ticket to all things working for our good? All God asks in this promise? That we love Him. He can work with that!

I don’t get a lot of things right, but I do love God. And He worked my situation for the good.

I experienced a very unexpected shift. In this transition I have met people I wouldn’t have otherwise. Some of these people are important to the dream He still has planted in my heart. Others, I have been blessed by. Some, I’ve been able to bless as an Ambassador of Christ doing His work.

There is purpose in where He has placed us.

God is a good Harvester, and He won’t waste any of us or our efforts when we desire to be good soil for Him.  He’ll still use us. Wherever we are. I think someone needs to hear that very thing today.  God’s not done with you yet! Expect the unexpected sweet one. God has something special for you. The time is near.

Expect the Unexpected – A Present to Treasure

If you’ve lived life in this world for any length of time, it can be easy to become discouraged, and maybe even a little frightened at the state of things.

But God came to save the world. He hasn’t lifted His sovereign hand from this earth, from our lives, or the lives of those we love. We shouldn’t be surprised by the sin of the world and how it’s manifesting. Read the books of prophecy. He told us what to expect. Sin and its consequences aren’t unexpected at all.

Because of sin, He came to save.

When Mary was pregnant with baby Jesus, she treasured up God’s goodness.  You can be certain she was not expecting to encounter God the way she did. Who would have thought the most precious gift the world was ever given, would come at the cost she paid?  She gave her reputation. She gave her body. She risked her relationship with Joseph to follow the Lord.

And through it all she treasured up the moments she was given with Christ that no one else got to experience.  I love that verse so much because it reminds me to treasure Him up too. There are things He’s given me, that He didn’t give to anyone else. Some of these things are hard things, but in them I can see His beauty. I encounter Him.  We can each treasure those moments with Him too (even if we don’t love the difficulty).

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.─Luke 2:16-19 NIV (emphasis mine)

Mary had just given birth. Not easy. Painful, in fact. Yet, she treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart. We can learn from Mary.

There are moments God has given me that are sweet, special, sacred, and undeniable.  Granted, I never gave birth to Christ, but He has helped me experience His goodness in difficult times. If I hover over the memories too long, tears will spill over, overwhelmed by His goodness in the midst of mess─mine and the world’s.

Remember to share these moments with others. They are for God’s glory. Don’t withhold what He has done.

I pray you encounter these unexpected experiences of God’s goodness in your own life, when you are left with your jaw dropping to the floor in disbelief and overwhelm that God sees you and knows you, that He knows exactly what you need to be encouraged and to feel loved.

Deeply loved.

I think if we peered into the well of God’s love for us, we couldn’t see the depth of it. We’d expect there was a limit, because we have limits and they can be pushed.  But God’s love for us is never ending.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;

therefore, I will hope in him!” ─Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT

Treasure it up in your heart, sweet one, much like Mary did when she was expecting baby Jesus. Expect Him to show up in your life too.  He is birthing something beautiful.

I pray Jesus celebrates so many mountaintop moments with you that your faith runs deep, so deep that people see Christ’s reflection in you.

That seems kind of crazy to expect God trusts us enough to be His ambassadors of love. But He does! His trust in us might feel foreign and unexpected. Embrace it and let His grace guide you. Don’t put pressure on yourself to perform. Let Him show you who He’s assigned to you. Let Him show you how. Follow His lead.

Love is an unexpected lesson we can all learn. We are to give it, and we get to receive it. What if the person who needed it most didn’t get it, because we didn’t do our part? What if that person is US in this season? That’s okay too. Give. Receive. There’s a season for everything, even as there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3).

Know this. A situation may feel unexpected to us, but God is never surprised by our circumstances.  Celebrate with Him in moments of joy. Run to Him in moments of trial. He is faithful to be with us in tragedy and triumph.  We can expect His presence to carry us through every season.

Be blessed this Christmas season, sweet one. Let the wonder of the season instill wonder in your heart for Christ.

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Signature Image: Tracy Stella

Categories // Expecting the Unexpected, Tracy Stella's Perspective Tags // 1 Timothy 1:9-10, 29:11, Anticipation, Birth of Christ, Christmas, gift, God's Faithfulness, God's Glory, God's goodness, hope, James 1:17, Jeremiah 29:11, Lamentations 3:22-24, Love, Luke 2:16-19, Mind of Christ, Present, Romans 8:28, Salvation, tragedy, Treasure, Trial, truth, Unexpected, Vulnerability, Wonder

The Christmas Story: a Child is Born

12.11.2018 by Jennifer Howe //

Hello, friend! ‘Tis the season, and I (Jennifer) wish you a precious Advent time this year. The Facets settled on taking a look at the Christmas Story, but with a fresh look. When we searched for the Father, Son, and Spirit in Christmas, we found wonderful gems to share. Tracy shared about the Spirit’s role in the story last week. Be sure to come back next week to read Kim’s post on the Father. This week, it’s all about JESUS!
The Story of Christmas: Jesus (J. Howe)

Around this time, Emperor Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken throughout the Empire. Luke 2:1 CJB

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.*

Oh, sleepy town of David—Bethlehem, the House of Bread—overwhelmed with visitors. Caesar decreed, so “Everyone went to be registered, each to his own town” (Luke 2:3). People with family or means fill every home or rented every room. The rest find shelter where they can. Shepherds rest in the open fields under a clear sky, captivated by the stars. They listen through the usual nighttime noises rippling through the flock, alert for sounds of a threat. The descendants of David, all of them, sleep through the quiet night. The visitors won’t stay long. They will rest from their travel, visit with relatives, and wait to register until they leave for home.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Luke 2:4-5 ESV

In all the crazy-busy of the masses arriving in town and settling their families and the herds they were forced to bring with them, an unknown teenager and her husband slip through the crowds. Their travel took longer than it would; it was slow going with her need to rest and drink and eat so often. The healthy boy kicked and rolled inside Mary’s belly. “He’ll be here soon. Jesus will be born in Bethlehem. Tonight?” she wondered.

Joseph was a good man. Even so, he’d been pushed so far. Mary was beautiful and kind and precious to him; he loved her. Tonight he would care for her and the child. It was the right thing, the honorable thing. The baby would be born in Bethlehem. He would help. They would figure it out together.

The young couple’s larger family group traveled separately and more quickly for the census. By now they were settled, and no one expected the couple to join them. Joseph would have to find a quiet place of their own for their stay.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 ESV

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.*

And there He was. Larger than all of the universe and smaller than a bread box. Lord of all and Servant of all. God slipped into the creation He made with a word—and He was the Word.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. John 1:10 NLT

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

God is a loving and generous Gift-giver, so He offered a few the opportunity of a lifetime.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. Luke 2:8-18 ESV

The shepherds heard the news and they went to see Him! And do you see what I see? “And all who heard it wondered.” Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and who else? It doesn’t say, but news of a beautiful baby travels fast in almost any culture. Add an angelic birth announcement, and people have something to talk about.

Two thousand years later, people are still talking. Some are interested in religious things or decorated things or sales increase things. ‘Tis the season. But there’s nothing in that. No “God with us.” No help for this life or relief from sin and suffering. If you want the real truth, love, and power of Jesus at Christmas listen closely.

No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.*

It’s all about Jesus. He’s the reason for the season, and I desperately need Him. We desperately need Him.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today.*

When I think of the coming Savior King at Christmas, I am amazed. Jesus was God and man. That He stepped down from heaven to earth is incredible. That He became one of us is mind-blowing. That His mission was to reconcile sinful humankind to Holy God is pure love.

I want my heart to be the place Jesus casts out sin, enters, and lives. I want a new heart, mind, and life because of the love of Jesus. You?

I also want to remember that, while He came to us as a baby, the rest of the story is amazing! Jesus grew up and now reigns as King of all from heaven. Now that’s a story worth reading. Do you know how it goes?

Signature, Jennifer Howe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


* Lyrics from O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Phillips Brooks and Lewis Redner.

 

Categories // Faith, Jennifer Howe's Perspective, The Story of Christmas Tags // Christmas, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jennifer J Howe, Jesus, John 1, Luke 2, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Trinity

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Search this website

Subscribe

* indicates required

FACETS is on Social Media!

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Blessings—as You Go…
  • The Blessing of Knowing God
  • The Blessing and the Battle
  • January 2021: The Blessing
  • A Weary World Rejoices: Pondering and Remembering

Recent Comments

  • The Blessing of Knowing God – Facets of Faith on The Blessing and the Battle
  • Maryfrances on The Blessing and the Battle
  • The Blessing and the Battle – Facets of Faith on January 2021: The Blessing
  • Reawakening the Invitation to Dream – Facets of Faith on The Trinity: Intimately Knowing & Growing
  • Rudy Euceda on Finding Jesus Next to Me

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2015

Categories

  • A Weary World Rejoices
  • Blooming in Marriage
  • Changes
  • Connection Before Correction
  • Desperate for God to Do?
  • Difficult People
  • Do They Know They Are Loved?
  • Do They Know They Are Loved?
  • Do You Believe God?
  • Do You Give Her the Royal Treatment?
  • Do You Kow You Are…
  • Do You See What I See
  • Expecting the Unexpected
  • Faith
  • Finding Family
  • Forgiveness
  • Freedom
  • Freedom on the Road to Calling
  • Friendship
  • Going Through Change
  • Going Through the Change
  • Guest Perspectives
  • How Do You See 2020?
  • How does God respond to me?
  • How Does Prayer Fuel Hope?
  • How Does the Enemy Try to Silence You?
  • How to Love When It's Hard
  • Intimacy
  • Jennifer Howe's Perspective
  • Joy/Humor
  • Kim Findlay's Perspective
  • Life
  • Life Lessons
  • Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Surrender
  • Mama Guilt
  • Megan Abbott's Perspective
  • Perspective
  • Precious Attributes of God
  • Resurrection Power
  • Safe to be Really Me?
  • Say No
  • Say Yes
  • Singing in April's Showers
  • Spring Forward with God
  • Thankfulness: How do we serve?
  • The Blessing
  • The Blessing: January 2021
  • The Do Over
  • The FACETS Team
  • The Lion the Lamb and the Mirror
  • The Story of Christmas
  • The Trinity: Intimately knowing and growing
  • Thelma! Who's Your Louise?
  • Tracy Stella's Perspective
  • Trusting God When Afraid
  • Truth and Denial
  • Turning Little into Much
  • Uncategorized
  • What are You Going Back to?
  • What Do I Have to Offer
  • What Do You Do for Fun?
  • What Do You Dream About?
  • What has God rescued you from?
  • Who Burnt My Turkey?
  • Who Do You Love?
  • Who Do You Say I Am?
  • Woman of God?

© 2025 · Facets of Faith · Built on the Genesis Framework