The Secret Sanctuary
Enter into the Secret Place Have you ever longed for a secret refuge, a place of your own? That perfect spot where you could tuck yourself away from the world so you could pray or be alone with your thoughts – unnoticed by others. As a young girl I would often watch my oldest sister quietly leave the house and disappear around the curve in our country road. I would watch with mystery, wondering where she was going. Funny how I never thought to follow her. Somehow my heart knew this was her alone time. Years later I asked my sister where she would go and what she would do…
Glory Came Down and Dwelt Among Us
As a child I loved tinsel. Today it is nearly impossible to find a box of the ornamental silvery strands. In fact, just mentioning tinsel dates me. At Christmas time tinsel lined the shelves of the local five and dime stores, right in there with the large colored electric bulbs and the delicate glass-blown ornaments. I remember feeling horrified when I saw someone throw handfuls of tinsel at their tree, leaving large clumps, hither and yon. I guess to me there was something ceremonially reminiscent of the time of year, as we thoughtfully placed each strand of tinsel on the perfect bough. Each thin strand of metallic garland shimmered under…
Fear of Authenticity: Listening to Wrong Messages
When we are afraid of being seen for who we really are, we create appealing façades to hide our true-selves. We learn to promote someone who is likeable, agreeable, valuable and desirable. And we cover over areas we consider to be flawed, blemished or that may be rejected. In this process of masking we learn to deny God’s standard to live freely out of who He created us to be and we appease the standards that we think others are setting before us; leaving us vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. We often deny our true ideas or opinions We hide our real feelings and emotions for fear that we will…
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Knowing God is Enough In The Hard Places of Life
God is Enough During a recent visit to Hong Kong my husband Joel and I attended an English-speaking Chinese church where two years prior we had spent a short season of ministry. As we walked through the church doors, we immediately felt welcomed by the love of this sweet assembly of Chinese believers. One particularly welcoming friend was Ruth. As I write this I can still hear the lilt of joy in her voice and feel the warm embrace of Ruth’s hug. It was this Sunday that I would begin to hear the beginning of Ruth’s story. Later I would email her and begin to connect-the-dots of a small part…
Exposed to God’s Truth: Knowing Self
The Character Quality of Knowing Self: I expectantly eyed the bathroom mirror, keenly aware that this day would not only put another candle on an elaborately iced cake, but mark off another significant decade. With anticipation for the day ahead of me, I stopped to assess my reflection. Instantly, I was met by a rather dismal birthday pronouncement. The voice in my head spoke loud and clear. “I don’t like you!” In one quick instance, I had summed up four decades of my life. And with four short words, I had pronounced myself, lacking. Was I saying that I didn’t like how I looked? Or was I saying, that…
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Welcome to Linda Jane Dingeldein: Different by Design!
Unveiling the Mask: Learning to live out of your God-given design
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