The Pace of Grace Blog
Faith to Face an Empty Nest
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” — Matthew 6:26 (ESV) Last summer, my husband and I took a short retreat to camp on the shores of one of…
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Can Flowers Fuel Your Faith?
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and…
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When Christmas Isn’t Picture Perfect
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” —Matthew 1:22-23 (NKJV) It’s Christmas Eve, and because we…
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How Can I Be Thankful in All Circumstances?
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) Have you ever been floored by a crisis that hit at the absolute worst time, in the worst way? And you can’t imagine how you will move forward…
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Why Does This Suddenly Feel Like Sin?
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” —Romans 6:22 (ESV) Our attentive server whisked over to our table with a small dish holding two brightly seasoned wedges of freshly baked focaccia bread.…
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When God’s Will Doesn’t Include Healing
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he…
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Recognizing Counterfeits: How God’s Word Exposes Sin & Sanctifies Us
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” –John 17:17 (NKJV) Several years ago, when I was homeschooling all three of our girls, we took a memorable field trip with another family of three daughters to the Denver Mint and Denver Money Museum. I was so excited that such an essential…
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Not My Will: Finding Peace in Unanswered Prayer
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” – 1 John 5:14 (ESV) As a child, my experience with prayers for healing involved traveling preachers who called the sick up to the front of the church for the laying…
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Hoping for a Back-to-School Reboot?
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” –Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) Every year, the back-to-school season awakens an excitement in me for all things new. The appearance of aisles and aisles of crisp, colorful school supplies, the scent of freshly sharpened pencils and perfectly tipped crayons, and the return…
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The High Cost of Control: Learning to Trust Our Creator
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling.” –Isaiah 30:15 (ESV) Last summer, a Bible study I was working on gave me a new perspective on the interwoven relationship…
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Clashing With Spiritual Siblings? How to Show Honor When You Disagree
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” –Romans 12:10 (ESV) As with your biological family, it is easy to love your spiritual family, brothers and sisters in Christ, until they adamantly disagree with you. Unfortunately, social media makes it even easier for fellow believers to tear one another…
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Moving Past the Prayer Emoji
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” –Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) Although I know it’s not a healthy habit, I often find myself rolling over in bed to check my…
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