The Pace of Grace Blog
Trusting God With Our Best-Laid Plans
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” —Proverbs 19:21 ESV I was happy to see a familiar face behind the customer service counter as I hopped into line at our local Hobby Lobby. This sweet young lady had checked…
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Short Nature Walks Can Benefit Mental Health
By Renée Gotcher
Did you know research confirms that short nature walks benefit mental health? Recent studies also report that consistent walking—and specifically walking in nature—provides significant mental health benefits to those experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. An article published in Medical News Today last summer reported that a short walk each day could reduce depression symptoms. Researchers…
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Can God Work Even This for Good?
By Renée Gotcher
I couldn’t tell you how many times I have prayed Paul’s words from the perspective-shifting promise found in Romans 8:28 while struggling to stay afloat in overwhelming storms. Believing that our sovereign God works all things (not just some) together (not separately) for His purposes provides the soul-steadying peace we need to sustain us until…
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Book Review: Draw Near
By Renée Gotcher
Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings, by my friend and fellow Life Changing Stories contributing author Hadassah Treu, is a must-read for anyone wondering if God is still at work amid turbulent trials and struggling to understand how to interpret their suffering biblically. Treu beautifully illustrates how suffering can be a catalyst…
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Book Review: Now and Not Yet
By Renée Gotcher
Now and Not Yet: Pressing In When You’re Waiting, Wanting, and Restless for More, by Ruth Chou Simons, is an honest, hope-filled examination of insignificance, disappointment, and uncertainty with our “right now” circumstances. It’s a timely, transformational message packaged in a beautifully crafted hardcover book—complete with the signature artwork that makes Ruth’s books a treasure…
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How to Be Thankful for the Thorn of Anxiety
By Renée Gotcher
Have you been pleading with the Lord to remove a “thorn” from your life? Are you wrestling with unanswered prayers, struggling to understand why God won’t remove the thorn when you could be so much more productive and effective without this affliction holding you back? In my post “How to Be Thankful for the Thorn…
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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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Why Impatience is Costing You Peace
By Renée Gotcher
Transforming Truth “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…” – Psalm 37:7ab (NKJV) Last year, an unexpected opportunity prompted my family to seriously consider making a significant change: moving from the bustling town we’d called home for more than 15 years to a rural property in the Colorado mountains. Although my husband and…
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