Deeply Rooted

Gwen Smith September 22, 2020Blog, Christian Living, Faith, Gratitude, Life Clutter, Maturity, Peace, Perspective, Trials, Trusting God 25 Comments

A nasty storm had blown through. Lots of thunder and lightning. Buckets of wetness. The Twitter feed from our local fire department alerted us to the dangers of high winds and encouraged the community to hunker down at home until the storm passed.

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When Highs and Lows Are Exhausting

Gwen Smith July 21, 2020Blog, Christian Living, Faith, Trials 14 Comments

Some called it a teeter-totter, but I always called it a seesaw and it was one of my favorite playground amenities in elementary school.

There were always risks involved when it came to mounting a teeter-totter during recess.

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When Comfort Is Stripped Away

Gwen Smith July 14, 2020Blog, Broken into Beautiful, Grief, Healing, Relationships, Sorrow, Trials, Trusting God 16 Comments

Trusting God can be hard.

I’ve been through hard times.

I’ve asked the question why on many occasions.

I’ve begrudgingly said goodbye to family and friends in order to say hello to strangers and scary new places.

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Baby Oil and Sun In

Gwen Smith June 30, 2020Blog, Prayer, Trials, Worship, Worship 34 Comments

Back when jelly bracelets, Aqua Net hairspray, blue eyeshadow and parachute pants were a thing, I wrestled with frustration every time radio disc jockeys talked over the beginning or ending of a song.

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What to Expect When You’re NOT Expecting

Gwen Smith June 9, 2020Blog, Perspective, Priorities, Trials 4 Comments

Sometimes we come face-to-face with bad and even tragic news that we never saw coming. Life can turn us upside down at a moment’s notice, leaving us spinning and searching for answers.

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Withstanding High Winds of Resistance

Gwen Smith May 12, 2020Blog, Devotions, Prayer, Sorrow, Strength, Trials, Trusting God 47 Comments

There’s an abundance of palm trees in Israel. I’m not sure why that surprised me as we traveled throughout the Holy Land, but it did. Not only was I blown away by the populous palm presence,

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Desperate for Shade

Gwen Smith April 28, 2020Blog, Broken into Beautiful, Christian Living, Encouragement, Perspective, Prayer, Strength, Trials, Trusting God, Worship 80 Comments

The sun’s intensity pushed me toward any shaded spot I could find.

We were just south of the Judean desert, close to the Dead Sea, in Israel.

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Will You Pout or Praise?

Gwen Smith April 14, 2020Blog, Faith, Trials, Trusting God 122 Comments

Trials can lead us to a greater dependency on God and a deeper trust in His sovereignty if we let them.

I’m reminded that in every situation I come to a crossroad and have a choice: I can pout or I can praise.

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Gaining a Fresh Perspective

Gwen Smith March 31, 2020Beauty, Blog, Confession, contentment, Encouragement, Life Clutter, Perspective, Trials, Trusting God 6 Comments

My husband, Brad, and I celebrated 20 years of marriage by taking a trip to several cities, far away. We planned our days and painstakingly plotted touring strategies in order to see the sites,

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