Oswald Chambers spoke of a “discipline of darkness.” This means that God teaches us things during dark times that we will never learn in the light. What might God be teaching you during your season of loss or hardship?

Learning Humility in Exile - Day 19

God allows hard times to come our way and uses them to shape and develop us. We can fight it or yield to what God is doing within us. He wants to help us to exchange our pride for humility.

faith, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichMarch 10, 2023grief, loss, pride, humility Comments

Companions of Comfort in Exile - Day 18

When you’ve experienced a setback (exile) it’s natural to experience isolation and loneliness. But God never abandons us. He sends us companions to comfort us.

faith, grief, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichMarch 10, 2023grief, isolation, loss, loneliness Comments

Denying Your Loss - Day Ten

When you experience a loss or setback, it’s easy to go into denial rather than face the painful emotions of anger, fear, and sadness.

Return from Exile: A 40-Day Journey From Setback to Comeback

We all have setbacks in life. For some of us, we get stuck in these setbacks, what I call “exile.” This post begins a 40 day journey to help you move from setback to comeback in your life. Join me.

faith, recovery, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichFebruary 24, 2023grief, grief and loss, setback, loss, failure Comments

Ministry Update and Free Book Offer

I’m heading back to Mexico to speak to pastors about spiritual abuse. I’m also releasing the Spanish edition of my book Broken Trust (Una Confianza Rota) for free on Kindle.

religion and spirituality, churchF. Remy DiederichFebruary 10, 2023spiritualabuse, abusoespiritual, iglesiamexicanoComment

Sabbath Is God's Answer For Our Shame

There is an inverse connection between shame and Sabbath, or the ability to rest. Shame causes us to strive for acceptance and never enter the rest that God has for us. But when you stop to rest, you might hear God’s voice of love.

faith, God, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichFebruary 3, 2023rest, Sabbath, shame, striving Comments

Shame and the Coping Mechanisms We Use

Shame is a painful emotion. As a result, we resort to a variety of coping mechanisms to cover the pain. But is it worth the trouble?

The Weakness of God - Advent Reflection (4)

In this final Advent reflection on the weakness of God I look at thoughts from Henri Nouwen on self-worth.

faith, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichDecember 23, 2022Advent, weakness of god, Christmas, Henri NouwenComment

The Weakness of God: Advent (3)

Jesus wasn’t ashamed of being associated with weakness. He’s not ashamed of being associated with you either.

faith, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichDecember 16, 2022advent, jesus, weaknessComment

The Weakness of God... Advent Reflection (1)

The world champions strength and shuns weakness. But Jesus entered the world and left it in weakness. What can we learn from the “weakness of God” in this Advent season?

Holiday Grief: Is it time to let go?

The holidays magnify the pain and grief of our losses, especially the loss of loved ones. But for that very reason, God can use the holidays to bring healing and a new life to the bereaved.

faith, grief, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichNovember 18, 2022grief, grieving loss, grief and loss, Holiday griefComment

Grief: Can There Be a Hidden Blessing? (Henri Nouwen)

Mourning is not a place to live but a process to move through to a place where life is good again. Henri Nouwen offers his wisdom on how to approach loss.

faith, grief, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichNovember 11, 2022grief, grief and loss, Henri Nouwen, Grief cycleComment

Beware the Rabbit Holes of Faith

At times, we can get so caught up in a spiritual side issue that it detracts from our faith. Our obsession causes us to lose credibility with people and push people away from Jesus. We get lost in a rabbit hole.

faith, Bible, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichNovember 4, 2022conspiracy theory, rabbit hole, bad faithComment

Jesus Disobeyed the Bible

Christians often like to say that they take the Bible literally but Jesus didn’t. In fact, he often disobeyed clear teaching of the Bible. What does this mean for our Bible reading and application?

Bible, faith, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichOctober 28, 2022Bible, Jesus, God's word, grace, legalism Comments

How to Pray (3): What to Ask For in Prayer

This is the final post in the brief series on How To Pray, looking at Jesus’ teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. In this post I look at three things Jesus said we can ask for in prayer.

faith, God, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichOctober 21, 2022prayer, how to pray, teach me to pray, Sermon on the MountComment

How To Pray (2): Approaching God

This is part two in a short series on How To Pray. In this post I look at what our view of God should be before we even ask for anything from Him.

faith, God, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichOctober 14, 2022how to pray, prayer, sermon on the mount, kingdom of GodComment

How To Pray: For Beginners Only

Too many people fail to pray because they think it’s complicated. It’s not. If you can talk to a friend, you can talk to God. This post begins a brief series on How to Pray.

faith, God, religion and spiritualityF. Remy DiederichOctober 7, 2022prayer, how to pray, The Lord's PrayerComment

God's Grace: It's More Than You Think

Too often people limit the idea of God’s grace to simply forgiveness. But God’s grace is much more than forgiveness. God’s grace gives you a new status with God and the power to change your life.

Death Is A Gateway, Not A Wall

Cancer can rob you of everything: strength, joy, relationships, life. Some people respond by curling up and waiting for the end. But this is the story of someone who saw her cancer as a gift to inspire many. Death is a gateway, not a wall.

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