Tag: Jesus

A Limp and a Prayer

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)

The past year has been rough on my health. Last September, my blood pressure, which had always been normal, suddenly spiked after a dizzy spell and didn’t go down for three days, prompting only my second ever trip to the ER. While in the ER, my blood pressure went up to 164/117—definitely scary territory, especially because I didn’t feel any differently. Months of appointments and tests followed that trip to the ER—appointments and tests that didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. Eventually, I was referred to a cardiologist who determined that my family history, rather than an underlying issue, had caught up with me. The good news is that with medication, my blood pressure is back under control. The bad news is that the medication zaps my energy and took months to adjust to, and there are still days that I struggle.

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Psalm 121: Lifting My Spirits with Praise

Posted on by Staci Mauney

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV)

I don’t remember when I first read Psalm 121. I was probably a teenager, reading through the Book of Psalms for the first time. The psalms have always brought comfort, especially as I learned the meaning behind many of them. They are full of emotion, praise, hope, lament, requests for vengeance, and longing for a better tomorrow. Continue reading “Psalm 121: Lifting My Spirits with Praise” →

The Hope of Easter

Posted on by Staci Mauney

[Jesus] told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” (Luke 24:46-47)

During Holy Week, we were reminded that the culmination of this season is Easter Sunday, when we observe Jesus’s resurrection. From Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the Lord’s Supper to the betrayal by Judas just a few days later, Holy Week is a whirlwind of ups and downs that mimic our own lives today.

As we celebrate Easter this year, remember the true meaning, which is found in the following truth: Jesus overcame death. He was humiliated and offered as a sacrifice on the cross. He died and rose from the grave, confirming he was the Son of God.

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Let Freedom Ring

Posted on by Staci Mauney

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13–14)

Cookouts. Fireworks. Family. I have many good memories of celebrating Independence Day, a holiday when we celebrate the birth of the United States of America and all the freedoms afforded to us because of where we live. Freedoms that men and women (and their families) fought and sacrificed for, from the battlefields to the halls of Congress, from courtrooms to grassroots movements—all starting on the day in 1776 when the US declared it was no longer a colony of England but rather an independent nation. Continue reading “Let Freedom Ring” →

Delays

Posted on by Staci Mauney

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Prov. 16:9)

A few months ago, I flew from Oklahoma City to New Orleans for a work conference. After hearing so much about delays and problems with flights over the last few years, I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Thankfully, the delays I experienced were minor, and I got to my destination only five minutes later than planned. The longest delay occurred when I arrived and couldn’t find my luggage. I watched the conveyer belt for my lime green suitcase (you can’t miss it!), but it never appeared. The Uber driver who was taking me to the conference hotel called every ten minutes or so as he circled the airport, waiting for me to emerge. Finally, when the conveyer belt stopped moving, I realized that my suitcase wasn’t coming out. I found an airline representative, who went into the back to check for me, and thirty seconds later she wheeled my suitcase out.

Delays in life are inevitable. Do we handle them with anger and annoyance? Or with patience and calm? If you’re like me, it depends on what causes the delay and how long it takes. Usually, there’s a mixture of emotions—first anger at the delay, and then worry as reality sets in and I realize I can’t do anything about it. Calm acceptance happens much later, often after a delay is resolved and I’ve moved on. Continue reading “Delays” →