Practice Remembering: Help for Isolation-Induced Thinking
Practice Remembering: Help for Isolation-Induced Thinking

I’ve noticed a fascinating thread through sanctifying life events: isolation. If I told you the story of each of those events (and perhaps I will one day), I would tell you that circumstances forced me to go through pieces of those events alone. And in each event, that aloneness drew me closer to Jesus, because He was the only one who could truly, fully be with me for the duration. As He drew me near to Him, I learned more about Him and that knowledge changed me.

That’s the crux. Sanctification happens when we learn more of God’s character.

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BlogNicole O'Mearagrace, chronic, undiagnosed, pandemic, sanctifiation Comment
Finding Peace When Things Can't Be Fixed
Finding Peace When Things Can't Be Fixed

There will always be things out of our control. Things we can’t fix. Since my lungs bled, it seems my family has been in a Master Class on “Things That Can’t be Fixed.” Broken blood vessels. Weak lungs. A pandemic that sent us into isolation. And now, as the state re-opens, we must stay home because that’s the safest choice. There’s really nothing we can do about that.

So what can we do?

Here are four things you can do to find peace and hope when things can’t be fixed.

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BlogNicole O'Mearahope, peace, praiseComment
Planning an Altar of Praise
Planning an Altar of Praise

I was hoping to find an example of a Biblical character who weathered their quarantine with faithfulness and steady joy. By far, the story that resonated with me the most was the story of Noah. Noah and his family were “quarantined” on the ark for their safety and preservation of life. There are many parallels between Noah’s quarantine and ours. Monotony, worry thoughts and waiting.

But, let’s not forget how the story of the flood ends, and I don’t mean the rainbow. I mean the altar. Noah’s first action after disembarking was to set up a stone altar of praise to the Lord.

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BlogNicole O'Mearablog, storm, Noah, praise, pandemic, quarantine, patience, waiting Comments
Book Review: The Promise is His Presence {BONUS: Video Conversation}
Book Review: The Promise is His Presence {BONUS: Video Conversation}

Author Glenna Marshall, a Christian living with chronic illness, struggled to feel satisfied when so much of her life wasn’t the way she thought it should be. Sitting on her couch with the Truth in her lap, she believed God was good, she just wasn’t sure He was good to her. What other reason could there be for her missing pieces?

She went on a quest for an answer and it led her to Jesus. Only Jesus.

The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough is her journey to finding satisfaction in God alone.

I read The Promise is His Presence earlier this year and it resonated so deeply with me that I reached out to Glenna and asked if I could interview her. She said, yes! So, this book review is even better with a BONUS video conversation.

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Book Review, Blog, VideoNicole O'Mearabook review, Soul Care, chronic diseaseComment
Videos: How Chronic Illness Affects Marriage
Videos: How Chronic Illness Affects Marriage

I watched a gardening show once about planting trees. The gardener told us to remove the support stakes after one year. The tree needed to be tossed about by the wind without support because the tossing caused it to grow layers in the trunk. We need to let the wind toss the young tree about so that the tree could grow stronger. Perhaps, a crisis is a bit of resistance on a marriage, growing our marriage muscles and making us stronger. That’s certainly what happened in our marriage.

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Blog, VideoNicole O'Meararare disease, chronic disease, marriage, traumaComment