2024-04-05 22:00
Hope or no hopeAbout twenty years ago Alan, a middle-aged brother in Christ, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. From what I saw and heard, it appeared to be a time of great hope… Read More
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Those Who Weep Blog
ThoseWhoWeep.blogspot.com
Evangelically-correct Christianity often leaves a sufferer feeling judged and discouraged rather than loved and supported. Ann O'Malley shares thoughts on facing the pain in our lives and ministering to those who are hurting, from a more biblical and compassionate perspective.
2024-03-01 21:00
Jesus’ last hoursWhen I think of the hours leading up to Jesus’ arrest, my mind goes instantly to Gethsemane, where He poured out His heart in agony before His Father. Then it mo… Read More
2024-02-02 22:00
Holy vs. commonThe first time I heard a Bible teacher define “holy” as “set apart,” it really bugged me. Being set apart in and of itself doesn’t necessarily me… Read More
2023-12-29 22:00
A reminderAnother follow-up to my earlier post, "God in the Fire.” In that article I wrote, “The God of the Bible is a God of constant pain.” This is true for at least a co… Read More
2023-12-01 21:00
A recent cultural shiftHow can we expect our children to be dedicated to the one true God? Bible-believing Christians are a small minority in America. The dominant culture ignores or disdain… Read More
2023-11-03 21:00
Supernatural healingGod does one miraculous thing for me, and I’m thankful for a while. For days. Maybe a couple of weeks. But at some point, I put that in the past and look to the fut… Read More
2023-09-29 21:30
Saying goodbye to the best dog in the worldI saw the signs. I knew it wouldn’t be long. But I kept thinking, “As long as he’s happy. . .” I was wrong.Of course he act… Read More
2023-09-01 21:00
The problemThere's something that's always bugged me about the theology that I’ve heard over the years. (If you’ve read many of my articles, you know there’s more than one… Read More
2023-07-28 22:00
Falling into the flamesAfter three years of having his medical condition under control, my precious young loved one might be experiencing another flare-up. After three years of knowing that… Read More
2023-06-30 21:30
A picture of enmity“So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘. . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers’” (Genesis 3:14-15).G… Read More
2023-06-02 21:00
My fear of others’ reactionsI’m getting dressed in the morning, knowing I’ll be going in for my allergy shot this afternoon. It’s late winter/early spring. Still too… Read More
2023-04-28 21:00
Jesus wept“Jesus wept” (John 11:35). I love that verse. I’ve used it in several of my posts, including one of my first and my last one, to illustrate how much God cares for… Read More
2023-03-24 21:00
The pain of deathDeath hurts.Many years ago, at a friend’s invitation, I went to a Good Friday service at a liberal church. Throughout the evening, the entire mood was one of pain and… Read More
2023-03-03 22:00
Painful doubtsIs there a single Christian on this planet who doesn’t suffer from doubt at least occasionally? I doubt it.One of the greatest sources of doubt that Western Christians fa… Read More
2023-02-03 21:00
Our Goldilocks universeThey tell me I live in a Goldilocks universe. They say that if conditions weren’t just right, nothing would exist as it does today. Life couldn’t sur… Read More
2022-12-30 22:00
DisappointmentReflecting on 2022. Feeling disappointed. I’d had such high hopes twelve months ago. Hopes for healing.The three years from 2019 through 2021 had been tough. In addition… Read More
2022-12-02 23:00
John brings joyI always think of John the Baptist as a harsh, critical, angry kind of guy. Some of his earliest recorded words were, “You brood of vipers!” (Luke 3:7). He scolded… Read More
2022-11-04 21:00
Mixed marriagesThe annual Thanksgiving Eve service at my church will be starting soon. I’m volunteering in the Children’s Department. Most of the kids are attending the service w… Read More
2022-10-07 15:52
So I went to leave a reply to a comment on my last article, and I got an error message.Oh no!, I thought. Is that what’s happening to readers who try to submit comments?I did som… Read More
2022-09-30 22:00
My body is importantNoticed something for the first time today in Matthew 6:25. Jesus says, “Is not . . . the body more important than clothes?” (my emphasis). Jesus Himself is a… Read More
2022-09-02 21:00
Running“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).“Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).These are the verse… Read More
2022-07-29 21:00
The biblical meaning of “life”“Choose life and not death!” (2 Kings 18:32).Yes! This is what God calls us to do. It’s the choice that Moses encouraged the… Read More
2022-07-01 22:00
Lunch with a friendHeading for a restaurant to have lunch with a friend. Feeling a little unhappy with her. When I’d contacted Marcia to see if she wanted to get together, the us… Read More
2022-06-03 21:00
Fretting freely“Fret not thyself because of evildoers” (Psalm 37:1, KJV).This verse really bothered me the first time I read it. I knew I wasn’t supposed to worry abo… Read More
2022-05-06 22:00
Perspectives on life's challenges“Suffering and trouble belong to life as much as fate and death. None of these can be subtracted from life without destroying its meaning. To subtract… Read More
2022-04-12 21:21
If you're one of my regular readers, you’ve probably noticed some changes that I’ve made on my website recently. I want to highlight a few of them here.I’ve started a new f… Read More
2022-04-08 23:00
God’s pain“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4 RSV).Jesus Himself, the God of the universe, He who has the power and sovereignty to d… Read More
2022-03-18 23:00
The slowness of creationI’ve been wondering lately: Why did God take a whole day to complete each step in creation? The Bible says that He spoke and new stuff appeared. Just like that… Read More
2022-02-25 22:00
The fadeI’ve been a Christian for a long time. I’ve participated in hundreds of Bible study sessions, I’ve listened to thousands of sermons, and I’ve read dozens of b… Read More
2022-02-04 23:00
Charlie’s love for peopleI’ve got the best dog in the world. Better than any other dog I’ve ever owned. Better than your dog. Better than all the other dogs on the planet.T… Read More
2022-01-14 22:17
God’s comfort in the Psalms“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles&rdq&hell…Read More
2021-12-23 21:00
Now and forever“Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever” (Matthew 6:13 NKJV).When I recite this line from the Lord’s Prayer in church or during my pe… Read More
2021-12-03 21:00
Mary’s strengthsMary was human. I know that. And yet my mental image of her verges on superhuman perfection.Her faith was so much greater than mine. She was so quick to accept God&rsqu&hell…Read More
2021-11-12 20:00
Paul’s example“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you” (Romans 1:8).“I always thank God for you” (1 Corinthians 1:4).“I have not stopped… Read More
2021-10-22 20:00
Prayer and healingGetting out of bed with a nauseous stomach and a stuffy head as I slowly recover from a flu bug. (Thank You, Lord, that my COVID test came back negative.) Streaming o… Read More
2021-10-01 20:00
The fruitThe fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).Who are these verses describing? Us… Read More
2021-09-10 20:00
No secretsGod is watching me. Not just from outside my body, but even from inside my head. He examines everything I do. He captures every word I say and every thought I think. He consi… Read More
2021-08-20 17:00
The fog rolls inStress flips the switch on the miniature fog machine in my brain. As my stress level increases, my mind shuts down more and more. I have to occasionally remind myself t… Read More
2021-07-30 20:00
The oppressed and the afflictedI’m a lousy pray-er. I get so distracted by my own suffering that I have a hard time remembering other people’s needs. Especially when my brain cel… Read More
2021-07-09 20:30
Seeking perfectionA recovering perfectionist. That’s what my friend/mentor called me.I see signs of a desire for perfection, not just in my own heart, but all around me. Complaints whe… Read More
2021-07-02 16:40
Regarding my Update under A Note to my Readers: Reverting, editing, and republishing didn’t work. I didn’t realize until it was too late that Blogger would still date it 6/28, wh… Read More
2021-06-28 16:26
I just wanted to let you know that I recently switched from Feed Burner to follow.it to handle my subscribers.For current subscribers, I imported your email addresses to my follow.it f… Read More
2021-06-18 20:00
My hatred, God’s loveSometimes I get so frustrated with my physical weaknesses that I despise this flesh that I’m trapped in and yearn for something better. One day, during one o… Read More
2021-05-28 19:00
Extreme views of grieving“Just forget about it and move on.” How often do I hear that? Sometimes in movies, sometimes in real life. Sometimes from those who see no purpose… Read More
2021-05-07 20:00
The importance of truthReading through 1 Corinthians 14. Suddenly the overall theme jumps out at me.I’m a detail person. I usually see every individual tree, rarely the entire forest… Read More
2021-04-16 18:00
The problemWaking up in the morning, not exactly looking forward to the day. Trying to pump myself up.What am I thinking? That never works. Turning instead to prayer. Expressing my phy… Read More
2021-03-26 19:30
Asking questionsYears ago, a young child asked me, “Why did Jesus have to die?” Of course I gave him a simple answer, “So that we can be in heaven with Him one day.&r&hell…Read More
2021-03-05 17:00
Staying cleanTwo truths that I’m seeing during this coronavirus pandemic:1. I can never be completely clean. (Or at least not for long.)2. That just might be a good thing.I get u… Read More
2021-02-12 19:00
Questioning God’s Word I’m so bad about questioning the Bible. I know it’s the truth, I know God inspired every word, I know He knows what He’… Read More
2021-01-22 20:00
Pandemic-induced aloneness My friend Kyle died in September. An aggressive brain tumor took his life just three months after his first symptom. One day he was feeling… Read More
2021-01-01 19:30
What is this new creation? “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Sounds goo… Read More
2020-12-11 19:00
Judgment In Luke chapter 1 (the introduction to the story of Jesus’ birth) Zechariah the priest enters the temple to burn incense to the Lord. A few minutes lat… Read More
2020-11-20 20:00
Beauty as therapy Sitting at my computer building an online jigsaw puzzle. Glancing out the window at the front yard. A sense of peace and contentment settles in my s… Read More
2020-10-30 18:00
God’s commands “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6). How often have I been told by the evangelically correct that this is a command… Read More
2020-10-02 20:00
The background I’m excited. God answered a prayer that I wasn’t really even praying. I love it when He does that. He surprised me by providing a solution… Read More
2020-09-18 19:00
God’s revelation Recently read through Psalm 119. All 176 verses. Normally, when I read it, I can relate to Sam Williamson’s initial thoughts in his blog… Read More
2020-08-28 19:00
Breaking Down Today I feel weak and fragile. Unable to discern where God is leading me. Overwhelmed by the stresses of the hour that we’re living in. Longing fo… Read More
2020-08-07 20:00
Stronger or more bitter? “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”* I hate that saying. Why? Don’t I kno… Read More
2020-07-17 22:00
The suffering of two faithful servants “After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah” (2 Chronicles 32:1… Read More
2020-06-26 17:00
The freedom of adults Thinking about freedom as the Fourth of July approaches. Wondering who has greater freedom, children or adults? Most kids would say grown-ups do. They… Read More
2020-06-05 18:00
Two songs, two styles Sang two songs back-to-back in virtual church on Sunday: “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord).” &l&hell…Read More
2020-05-15 17:31
Admitting my ignorance Several months ago, a life-changing thought came to me: I don’t know it all. I can’t keep up with the enormous amount of information bein… Read More
2020-04-24 21:00
Feeling Overwhelmed Jeremiah’s emotional observation of Jerusalem after it had fallen to the Babylonians: “How deserted lies the city, once so full of peo… Read More
2020-04-03 20:30
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was he… Read More
2020-03-20 22:00
I’ve noticed a certain weirdness about my faith lately. It seems like the more it grows, the less I expect from God. Is this what growth is really supposed to look l… Read More
2020-02-28 21:30
What was Paul thinking when he wrote in Romans 15:29, “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ” (italics adde… Read More
2020-02-07 23:30
Came across yet another Christian pundit scratching his head and trying to explain what went wrong with America. How could a culture so grounded in biblical values do such… Read More
2020-01-17 22:30
Sitting down to plan my lessons for the next week. Tuesday’s the big day, the day my supervisor will observe me during fourth hour. Better prepare a good presentatio… Read More
2019-12-27 23:00
Everyone in the Bible messes up. Absolutely everyone (except Jesus, of course). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Peter, John, Paul. That’s one reason I love th… Read More
2019-12-06 22:00
Jesus suffered. He was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. He went through intense pain on the cross. He was forsaken by God as He hung there, bearing the full weight of… Read More
2019-11-15 23:00
“I have nothing to be thankful for.” Those were the words in the letter to the editor of our local newspaper sometime in November, 2001, expressing the writer… Read More
2019-10-25 22:00
“No, Charlie! No!” Swat. “No chewing on Kleenex!” Usher him outside. Close off the doggy door so he can’t get back in. Char… Read More
2019-10-07 21:12
Psalms. Job. Second Corinthians. These are the books of the Bible that I turn to when I’m hurting. During my first depressive episode I couldn’t focus, couldn… Read More
2019-09-13 22:30
Exact words from my last post: “Lack of honesty, no matter how well-intentioned, keeps others at a distance. It can never bring about greater understanding between t… Read More
2019-08-23 21:00
Waking up as my alarm goes off. Hitting the snooze button, my mind drifting lazily around the idea of handling our emotions as Christians. An extension of my interrupted d… Read More
2019-08-02 22:00
Doing a bit of research for my last post. Looking for specific Bible verses to support one of my premises: God, as He reveals Himself in the Old Testament, places a strong… Read More
2019-07-12 22:00
Gotta be honest here. And honestly, I want a God that I can control. Not that I have to be able to tell Him exactly how to run everything. I just want one who will always… Read More
2019-06-21 22:00
Rejoice! Celebrate! Those were God’s commands for His people in the Old Testament (for example, Leviticus 23:39-40). Yet I often hear that the Old Testament God is f… Read More
2019-05-31 20:00
Maybe I need to be more like “Jeopardy James.” Jeopardy James is the latest game show phenomenon. As I’m writing this, he’s won 31 games in a row… Read More
2019-05-10 21:30
Recently heard about a company called Marketplace Chaplains. Trained Christian chaplains available 24/7 to provide employee care to businesses. Workers going through a cri… Read More
2019-04-17 14:55
Good Friday. The crucifixion. The most intense suffering the world has ever seen. Jesus, God the Son, rejected, humiliated, tortured, executed in the most excruciating way… Read More
2019-04-12 22:00
Hearing the gospel for the first time as a teenager. No one’s good enough to please God, to deserve His favor, to earn a place in heaven on their own. It’s a r… Read More
2019-03-22 21:30
Going through my collection of books. Reading some that I haven’t read before. (Or don’t remember reading before.) Getting rid of the ones I’ll never rea… Read More
2019-03-01 22:30
Thought I understood the parable Jesus tells in Matthew chapter 13 about a farmer planting his crops. Maybe not. Or at least not as well as I’d imagined. … Read More
2019-02-15 22:00
The cry of a Christian teen breaks a parent’s heart. Why does life hurt so much? Why do I face rejection, broken relationships, the death of a friend, failure? Where… Read More
2019-01-25 22:30
It’s only one sentence, only one line, just a brief statement. But coming from the pastor, speaking to the congregation on a Sunday morning with all the authority of… Read More
2019-01-08 15:08
Bad news. The diagnosis of a life-threatening illness in a precious young loved one. It hits me hard. It takes my breath away. It throws me into a spiritual tailspin. The… Read More
2019-01-04 23:00
Inefficient providence. Those were the Bible teacher’s words. Paul spends the last six chapters of Acts imprisoned, on trial, shipwrecked at sea. Is that really the… Read More
2018-12-14 23:00
2018-11-30 23:30
Bad news. The diagnosis of a life-threatening illness in a precious young loved one. It hits me hard. It takes my breath away. It throws me into a spiritual tailspin. The… Read More
2018-11-16 22:00
We’re preparing the family Thanksgiving dinner, four of us ranging in age from about thirty to sixty in the warm kitchen as the others mill around the house, when my… Read More
2018-11-02 21:30
Things I’ve seen and stories I’ve heard: ● Committed Christian baby boomers, the backbone of evangelical churches for decades, joining… Read More
2018-10-19 22:30
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8). Many years ago, during my first depressive episode, the… Read More
2018-10-05 21:30
“Because he himself [Jesus] suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). Temptation is a form of suffering. Ev… Read More
2018-09-21 22:00
Power. That word’s been jumping out at me every time I open my Bible lately. Paul wants to know the power of Christ’s resurrection (Philippians 3:10). What doe… Read More
2018-09-07 22:00
Recently watched I Can Only Imagine with a friend who’s very particular about the movies she sees. Must be high quality. No lame faith-based films with predictable d… Read More
2018-08-24 21:30
We need to talk, God. I really need You to understand something. Life is tough and I’m getting kind of tired of it. Year after year after year You’ve sent me o… Read More
2018-08-10 22:00
2018-07-28 14:48
2018-07-28 14:41
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