Hope and Healing for Moms

Thursday, October 12, 2017 The Dark Night of the Soul: The Discipline of Solitude, Part 3 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) Scripture: Isaiah 50:10 “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. Devotional: As we pursue the discipline of true solitude, it is common and even expected that we will enter into seasons of what often feels like a spiritual darkness or dryness. This is labeled by the men and women of wisdom who have gone before us as a “dark night of the soul.” God uses these often confusing times to teach us to rely less on our feelings as believers, and to draw us into a more intimate reliance on Him in our walk of faith. It is tempting to keep seeking a more emotional spiritual experience during these times, and we might even find others questioning our obedience to the Lord when we share our strug...

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 Silence and Solitude: The Discipline of Solitude, Part 2 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster) From Celebration of Discipline: “One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is intimately related to trust. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (pp. 100-101). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition).” “Catherine de Haeck Doherty writes, “All in me is silent and… I am immersed in the silence of God.”  It is in solitude that we come to experience the “silence of God” and so receive the inner silence that is the craving of our hearts. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 102). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.)” Sc...

Monday, October 9, 2017 “A Portable Sanctuary of the Heart:” The Discipline of Solitude, Part 1 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster “We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 96). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.) “Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together titled one of his chapters “The Day Together” and the following chapter “The Day Alone.” Both are essential for spiritual success. He writes, “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community…. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone…. Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.” 2 Therefore, we must seek ou...