Posted on October 10, 2025
by Paris Renae
10 Comments
Most of us dream this: meet prince charming, get married, have kids, live comfortably, die holding hands while rocking side by side on the porch. But life… Sometimes that dream is shattered by abuse, or divorce, or childlessness, or a child dying, or a… Continue Reading “When your dream changes”
Category: featuredTags: abuse, accept, agony, assurance, beautiful, best, birth, change, Christ, comfort, die, divorce, dream, earth, eternity, expectation, faith, Father, free, God, good, heart, heaven, hope, illness, inheritance, Jesus, kids, life, Lord, married, mercy, old, peace, personal, perspective, possible, power, praise, prince, promise, rebel, relax, resurrection dead, rich, salvation, special, spouse, time, treasure, truth, wish, write, young
Posted on May 30, 2025
by Paris Renae
6 Comments
Usually, when we least expect it, something happens that slows the path we’re on. Often unwelcome. For me this week it’s been a mild illness – so mild it’s hard to name it, but enough to break up my rhythm and hinder my plans.… Continue Reading “Unexpected slowing”
Category: featuredTags: afraid, age, alone, battle, Bible, calendar, control, correct, creation, direction, discouraged, earth, easy, enemy, eternity, God, grateful, heart wrenching, illness, Jesus, life, Lord, Old Testament, overcome, peace, people, plans, rebuke, relate, rest, rhythm, righteous, road, scripture, sin, slow, teach, training, truth, unhappy, unwelcome, verse, victory, walk, wandering, world
Posted on October 16, 2024
by Paris Renae
2 Comments
I’ve been pondering the devastation of Western North Carolina – an area where my family and I have made memories. Recently I have heard three different people say essentially the same sad phrase: “The North Carolina mountain landscape will never look the same.” While… Continue Reading “Ok to be afraid”
Category: featuredTags: afraid, Bible, career, chemo, children, Christian, creator, death, devastation, diagnosis, family, Father, fear, financial, fragile, frightening, God, guilty, heart, home, human, illness, Jesus, kingdom, landscape, learn, life changing, marriage, memories, North Carolina, pray, promise, sad, shameful, share, sorrow, stoic, storm, tears, terminal, welcome, worth, wrong
Posted on May 24, 2022
by Paris Renae
6 Comments
It’s easy for us to complain or, to put it more gently, bemoan or grumble – because there’s plenty each day that tries to take away our peace. Things like unexpected pain, illness, financial burdens, you can add yours here… Found myself in the… Continue Reading “Just me & You”
Category: featuredTags: burden, complain, dependent, discover, doubt, earth, eternity, Father, finances, fun, gentle, God, grace, grumble, help, illness, impatient, Jesus, listen, Lord, offended, pain, peace, prayer, present, refuge, rescue, safety, silence, sorrow, strength, trial, trouble, trust, wait, world
Posted on April 19, 2022
by Paris Renae
10 Comments
I’ve noticed that when we – all people – experience heartache, illness, tragedy, loss – our tendency is to feel like no one gets it. Like we’re the only ones who have experienced this. We retreat inside ourselves and, at times, nurse the hurt… Continue Reading “Not Alone”
Category: featuredTags: alone, angel, answers, brokenness, Christ, creation, danger, death, demon, Dolly Parton, drug, earth, fear, foreign, freedom, God, healing, heartache, heaven, hell, home, hope, hunger, hurt, illness, Jesus, life, Lord, loss, love, money, navigator, pain, people, persecution, power, ptsd, salvation, soldier, song, storm, survive, testimony, tragedy, trouble, true, Ukraine, wonder, world, worry, wounds
Posted on July 6, 2021
by Paris Renae
Leave a Comment
A little guy in my life is learning the joys of swimming. He’s gotten brave and put his head down in the water – kicked those legs and made it to momma – and now he’s trying to trust that he can make it… Continue Reading “Can’t See”
Category: featuredTags: anxious, brave, broken, cure, doubt, easy street, eternity, fact, faith, fix it, forever, fret, God, good, heart, human, hurt, illness, impatient, Jesus, joy, learn, life, mom, past, problem, promise, question, Savior, test, trust, work, world, worry
Posted on March 2, 2021
by Paris Renae
6 Comments
So here’s what makes me crazy – messes. I don’t have a spotless house, especially these days. Four days a week it’s invaded by pattering little feet leaving sticky spots, handprints, and sand everywhere. Seriously, I can’t keep up with the spots on the… Continue Reading “Messy”
Category: featuredTags: Adam, anguish, animal, bankruptcy, children, choice, clean, close call, courage, crazy, cross, crucifixion, death, disciple, disease, divorce, eat, enslaved, Eve, familiar, feelings, God, grace, growth, havoc, heart, Holy Spirit, house, hurt, illness, impossible, imprisoned, Jesus, kill, labor, life, lucky, mess, miraculous, money, Noah, obey, paradise, perfect, plan, provision, purpose, quiet, sin, terminal, trust, unsettling, wonder, work
Posted on August 18, 2020
by Paris Renae
4 Comments
One thing I’m missing: smiles. I can’t see them – masks only reveal eyes. So I’m trying to see those, but I’ve noticed this: people are looking down a lot these days. I’ve wondered about the missing smiles and the downcast eyes. Wondering how… Continue Reading “The Best Way…”
Category: featuredTags: action, behavior, burden, change, character, children, Christ, command, compassion, disease, downcast, eyes, feel, forever, generous, God, good, guarantee, hope, humanity, hurting, illness, Jesus, joy, lifestyle, light, Lord, mask, nature, new normal, pandemic, pray, quality, scary, scripture, see, sin, smile, sympathy, thankful, visit
Posted on September 5, 2017
by Paris Renae
10 Comments
Spending a week (or more) sick can bring a whole new perspective. Why are we surprised each time when we go through the inconvenience, pain, and agony of the common cold/flu/whatever is going around – that we come out on the other side with… Continue Reading “Choose Belief…”
Category: featuredTags: belief, control, faith, flu, God, healing, Houston, illness, Jesus, pain, pray, rest, sick, soul, suffering, Texas, trust
Posted on June 6, 2017
by Paris Renae
11 Comments
Ever walked into the men’s room by accident? Only once, and thankfully, nobody there. Since then I double check the sign as I enter. Walked into an unknown situation lately? With stomach jitters and looking for the exit. Many times we don’t notice where we’re going and many… Continue Reading “Walking In…”
Category: featuredTags: accident, Bible, brave, confrontation, fear, God, hospital, illness, Jesus, job, relationship, safe, save me, storm, story, trouble, truth, unknown, walk, water