Lori Schumaker's Blog, page 11

Why Is Laughter So Good for Your Soul?

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. -Psalm 126:2-3 ESV

Laughter Is Good for the Soul

I’m guilty of getting too serious. I let things like to-do lists and day-to-day struggles find their place to the forefront of my mind far too often. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband. His sense of humor and ability to laugh...

Forgiving Yourself and Finding Freedom From Shame

Forgiving Yourself and Embracing God’s Grace Go Hand-In-Hand

From the outside it all looked quite picture perfect. Handsome husband. Two beautiful toddlers. Financial stability. Active in church ministry. Always quick with a smile and an encouraging word.

And it wasn’t as if my smile was disingenuous. I treasured my husband and children. Gratitude for all of God’s blessings filled my heart. The world needs happiness and smiling is one easy way to cheer up another, so to me, wearing a smile was...

The Lord’s Prayer Made Simple! A New, Easy, and FREE Resource!

A few months ago, as a part of the The Way We Pray series, one of my favorite bloggers joined us and gave us a deeper look into the Lord’s Prayer. She dug deeply into Matthew 6:9-13 breaking it down line by line so that we could understand why the Lord’s Prayer is so powerful and why Jesus would teach us to pray in this way. You can check out Natalie’s post on the Lord’s Prayer right here. And if you want to know more about Natalie, you can find her at Milk and Honey Faith! It’s a stop you wo...

A Prayer for Every Mother

As a mother, we really do the impossible! Not just in the day-to-day work, sacrifice, and love. But in the essence of what we are meant to do. We go from our child’s complete dependence on us to setting them free. We take responsibility for their every moment, yet are expected to find our way to equipping them to thrive independently.

One extreme to the other.

I often wonder how a mama does it without Jesus.

I often wonder how a mama does it without Jesus. #mothersprayer #mothersday
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God Has a Plan Even When Confusion Overwhelms You

Sometimes I think we have way too much in common with confused little ducks! 

The streets gently curve around a little man-made lake. The lake and grassy green belts are on one side of the street while the housing developments and larger busier streets lie on the other side of the street.  I drove that route every morning on the way to my boys’ school. It was a beautiful drive.

Several times a year, though, I had to sharply hit the brakes in order to save the life of a wandering and confused du...

Trusting God With Your Story When You Need to Try Again

@thatgirlkoki is sharing thoughts on trusting God with our story even when we have to try again. #chosennotcheated #newauthor
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Again can be such an exhausting word.

Every time I think about it, memories of my dad teaching my brother and I how to swim come to mind. Take a deep breath. Let the air swell in your lungs, lunge forward and give it your best, he’d say. I’d nod, bring my hands together, body all gangly and shivering in the cold as I stood on the opposite end of the pool a...

God Is With You When Others Are Not

“Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” -Psalm 69:20 KJV

Have you ever felt like this? I have. Just this week I found myself hurting over what others had said or done.  I knew their intentions were not to hurt me; however, I found myself buried in despair.  I cried out to God and was brought to these scriptures:

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you restless and distu...

Praying for Your Children to Love Each Other Well

Last week we had a special day in our home. Eight years ago today we walked into an orphanage in a tiny village in Bulgaria and walked out with our daughter forever in our arms.

It’s a miraculous day. One that forever changed us as a family. Yet as much as we celebrate that day, it’s also a day marked with pain. I’ve written about it before – the fact that adoption is God’s beautiful way of making beauty come from ashes.

Every adoption story began in grief.

And for anyone who has walked the pain...

Soaking In the Moments With the Gift of Family

 

The post Soaking In the Moments With the Gift of Family appeared first on Lori Schumaker.

If God Is for Us, Who Can Be Against Us? {A Bible Study Review, Giveaway, and #MOH Link-Up!}

I don’t remember when they first breathed hope into my life and made it clear just how much it means to have God for me. But I do know that again and again God has proved His promises true. He always steps into the difficult places of my life and builds them into something new —often something far beyond my wildest dreams.

They are the Words that help me let go and surrender my life to Him —His timing and His version of the story. They are the words that remind me that somehow … someway …

Every...