Pursuing Christ with Biblical Truth, Spirit-filled Grace, and Passionate Prayer
Renew your heart with these inspiring articles about Knowing God by author and teacher, Melissa McLaughlin~ Truthful Grace. God made you. God loves you. God wants you to be near and know Him more.
By Melissa McLaughlin We Need a Hero Sometimes we need a hero. To be encouraged by someone who lives with fierce faith in God. To hear again a testimony that inspires. During my recent Bible reading, one such unlikely heroine caught my attention. Her name is Rahab. Her spirit bright with faith, Rahab threw herself … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Memories of Love My eyes welled up and a lump caught in my throat. While cleaning some piles of dusty books in the basement, my husband unearthed a few old photos of our children when they were young. I gazed at their tender faces, and recalled hearts of gold and smiles as … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A New Year in Christ Each year my goal is to deepen my relationship with Christ. When I think back to the place where my faith journey began, I am amazed to see how far God has brought me. From my earliest memories, I believed in God and felt His love for … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Have You Met the King? I never met our President. My tiny sphere of influence does not include the King or Queen of any country, for that matter. I’m just an ordinary person. But there is a King who knows my name. And I matter to His kingdom. In Isaiah 9:6-7 we … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A New Name My eyes tear up as I remember that day. It seems like only yesterday we said, “I do.” I met my husband at church. Our tender friendship grew into a committed relationship and culminated in our marriage a few years later. We celebrated this sacred occasion with a worshipful … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Seeing God With Us It was a simple thing. My husband and I paused for a brief rest. The daily grind of laundry, bills, cooking, and errands hemmed us in like hamsters on an exercise wheel. Despite running as hard as possible, the finish line appeared just out of reach. At one … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Food for the Soul One bite is all it takes. Savoring a delicious meal is a simple pleasure in my life. The aromas, varied textures, and wonderful flavors bring delight. Even as I imagine a favorite dessert, my mouth begins to water. Taking a bite of apple pie is a little slice … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Powerful Prayer in Song I woke that morning to a surprise from God. Just as my eyes opened a praise song popped into my head. Blessed be the name of the Lord ~by Don Moen I hadn’t heard this song in years. The music and lyrics echoed in my heart for … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Why Did God Save Us? Why did God save us? That’s easy. The answer rolls right off our tongues… because God loves us, of course! God sent Jesus because He desired to rescue us from hell and bring us to heaven. (John 3:16) Yes, it’s true, God loves us. Yet, scripture teaches … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The Feast of Tabernacles is the last of three fall feasts appointed and initiated by God in the Old Testament. The Feast (or Festival) of Tabernacles is also referred to as: The Feast of Booths / Ingathering / Shelters or in Hebrew “Sukkot”. The word Sukkot is the plural form of “sukkah” … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin One of my favorite summertime joys is seeing flowers arrayed in their colorful, radiant glory. My parents have the most amazing bush that blooms each year during mid-summer months. Every evening at dusk several blossoms on the Evening Primrose burst open and fully expand within about 45 seconds. First we stand back … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The first time I participated in a time of prayer and fasting was in high school. In order to raise awareness and raise money to fight world hunger, our church youth group organized a sleepover at the church that included a time of prayer and fasting. This afforded us the opportunity to … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin In a world of lies and questionable news, it’s hard to know what to believe. Like any other child, when I was young, I peppered my parents with all kinds of questions. I never wondered if they were telling me the truth. If they knew the answer, they told me, and it … Read more
We are living in a time we could never have imagined. The world and its systems have come to a screeching halt. Businesses, schools, churches, activities, travel have all been put on hold. In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus pandemic turned the spotlight on the fragility of our lives. The simple truth of our limited time is exposed, in plain sight, glaringly visible. All of a sudden, we are faced square on with the undeniable truth that we are but human, mere dust of the earth.
With this new, yet longstanding reality taking center stage, may we pray with fresh awareness that only God is God. Truly, our tomorrows on this earth are not promised. Here is my prayer for the world at such a time as this.
By Melissa McLaughlin Ever heard one of those remarkable testimonies of someone whose life was dramatically changed after they became a Christian? I get so excited to hear about God’s mighty hand moving in people’s lives. For many years, I felt my experience following Christ lacked the pizzazz that marked other’s journeys. But this is … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin How do I pray according to God’s will? How do I pray the heart of God? As I ponder these questions, one of my childhood memories comes to mind. I was in second or third grade. Each month, the teacher passed out a form for students to order paperback children’s books. When … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Be Seen The billboard slogan contained only two words: “Be Seen.” What were they advertising? A medical practice. Brilliant! They sold me! When calling for an appointment, it can be days, weeks or months before I can be seen by a doctor. I realize that medical offices are often understaffed and overworked, … Read more
Can I really know God? How can I actually know God? Is it possible for a mere human being to know the God who created all things? The God of the Bible has made it easy for us to know him. Read on to find our four ways to know God.
How can I experience the peace of God? When I look around I see violence, evil and hatred. How can I find God’s peace? Here are 7 ways to experience the peace of God which passes all understanding.
What does it mean to be a man or woman after God’s own heart? How could David be called a man after God’s own heart? Here are 3 ways you can become a man or woman after God’s own heart.
Wait. No one likes to wait. What does it mean to wait on the LORD? Why does God make us wait? How do we seek God’s plan for our lives? How do we avoid putting our plans before God’s plans for us?
By Melissa McLaughlin What are some of your earliest memories of your mom? One of my earliest recollections of my mom takes place on a small farm my parents owned when they first started out. I remember my mom singing a lullaby to me as we sat in the soft grass near a wispy willow … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Too Far Away Oh, how we wept. She was our first child. Following a difficult pregnancy, with many scary bumps along the way, she was finally born. Though five weeks early, our greatly anticipated child was born. At first we were relieved and rejoicing simply that she was alive! Smiles, laughter, tears! … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin In Over My Head It was our honeymoon! What joy! We had decided to celebrate in Acapulco, Mexico. The food was scrumptious, the people joyful, the beaches beautiful and the water was warm and inviting. Being an avid ocean swimmer, I convinced my husband to take a snorkeling trip for an up-close-and-personal … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Collecting The good news? I am a minimalist. This means, I actually enjoy cleaning out and donating unused items, reducing clutter and simplifying my surroundings and life. For me, less is truly more. The bad news? I am surrounded by a long line of collectors. This means, most of my family actually … Read more
How could I ever thank you enough? I am truly grateful for the gifted writers in this blogging community. Your words have stirred my faith, lifted my spirit and encouraged my soul in Christ. Whenever I am able to pause and read your work, I am filled to the brim! May God bless you and … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin John 3:16 I was mesmerized. My eyes were glued to a closely matched, nail-biting game of college football, when all of a sudden, there he was. The camera scanned the cheering crowd and then zoomed in on the young man, his face and chest painted pitch-black, contrasted starkly by the carefully painted … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The Power of a Name “What should we name her?” came the expectant and reverent voices of my children. My daughter had discovered an abandoned kitten in my parents’ barn. Crying, wailing, calling for someone to rescue her. And rescue her we did! Immediately we began preparations for welcoming a new kitten … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Backyard Search Recently my husband was inspired to rummage through our garage and dust off his old metal detector, a hobby he enjoyed just for kicks when we were younger and time was not so scarce. I could never seem to reach deep enough within to stir up the passion that … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I will always remember our one and only childhood trip to Florida. After the 25+ hour drive to sunny Florida all the way from the hills of Pennsylvania, we were overjoyed to finally reach our destination! We pulled into the Walt Disney World campground, our home away from home. My dad carefully … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin His are the hands that formed the mountains His are the hands that flooded the seas His are the hands the shaped humankind His are the hands that came His are the hands that reached for his mother His are the hands that held hammer and saw His are the hands that … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I’m perched on the edge of tomorrow Resting for a just bit Before I spread my wings again By the call of the rising Son I can see the wide world above The wonder of trees and skies The vast unseen unknown Beckoning me to come Small and frail as I am … Read more
Dear Lord, Thank you for the gift of my precious children, heart of my own heart, gift from heaven above. Until they were born, I did not realize how deep, fierce and untameable a mother’s love could be. But even this unexplainable force of love is not mine to own. It is from You, the … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Dear God, Please fill me. Fill me with the joy of learning again. Fill me with the wonder of new questions. Fill me with enthusiasm for accomplishments large and small. Fill me with patience, finding new ways to explain once more. Fill me with love for each precious child, each miracle of … Read more
The world can sometimes feel cold and dark. How quickly a day that began in sunshine and warmth can evaporate like mist in the wind. How can you rekindle the embers of your soul and keep your heart glowing? During the darkest times of my life, it was the heart and words of Jesus that … Read more