” . . . it’s actually a gift from God when our old coping mechanisms no longer help us get by. When our old standbys break down, it drives us to Him, and to the awareness that we need other people.”- Esther Fleece “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the […]
“When we minimize pain, we also minimize forgiveness. And when we minimize forgiveness, we minimize healing.”- Esther Fleece “The blood of Jesus doesn’t give you amnesia. My past happened. But Jesus gives you a life beyond your past.”- Christine Caine, author As Esther Fleece concludes Chapter 9 of No More Faking Fine, she asserts there’s […]
“But forgiveness is our invitation to process the pain so we can be authentically freed from it.”- Esther Fleece “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”- Matthew 6:14 In Chapter 9 (“Forgive Me”) of No More Faking Fine, Esther Fleece discusses the topic of […]
“Remembering is not a passive reflection, but a bold action of calling God’s truth into the present.”- Esther Fleece “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”- Proverbs 3:5-6 As Esther Fleece concludes Chapter 8 […]
“My circumstances may not always feel like a gift, but His presence is the greatest present in any circumstance.”- Esther Fleece In Chapter 8 (“Don’t Forget Me”) of No More Faking Fine, Esther Fleece asks this question. Have you ever felt God was withholding something from you? While you celebrate friends’ milestones and successes, do […]
“We can rejoice, even when we have unanswered questions, even when we have doubts and fears — and yes, even while we are still lamenting. . . . We can receive the peace of God and raise our hands to say Selah . . .”- Esther Fleece As Esther Fleece concludes Chapter 7 of No […]
” . . . we risk missing out on knowing God when we are intent on reaching resolution rather than appreciating the relationship. When we are too focused on outcomes, we. . . despise lament sessions and begin to question God’s heart toward us.”- Esther Fleece “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and […]
” ‘How long, Lord?’ in the Bible is seen as a powerful prayer of hope. Far from a complaint, this lament is a bold declaration that God is present, hears, and is powerful to act on our behalf.”- Esther Fleece “How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?”- Habakkuk 1:2 […]
“As Christians, when we lose lament we lose more than the journey of a full human experience . . . we lose the depth and goodness of the gospel.”- Walter Brueggeman, Psalmist’s Cry: Scripts for Embracing Laments Esther Fleece concludes Chapter 6 of No More Faking Fine with a reminder. God welcomes, honors, and hears our […]
“God’s loving presence is an absolute we can count on.”- Esther Fleece Esther Fleece begins Part 2 (“A New Way to Pray”) of No More Faking Fine with Chapter 6 (“Why?”). As Esther opens the chapter, she notes that questions we’re afraid to voice don’t go away. The howl of the soul cries “Why?” Yet, […]
“When we are secure in God’s love for us, when we know how He really feels about us, we are free to ask and tell Him anything . . . . And that is His hope for us exactly — to come to Him even, and especially, when life falls apart.”- Esther Fleece Esther Fleece […]
” . . . the discipline of lament requires going backward with God to process our pain, and it asks us to be honest about our pain in the present.”- Esther Fleece “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to […]