Walking boldly. Living freely.
Welcome to OPEN to Encourage.
A place for honest conversations, biblical encouragement, and navigating the beautiful, messy, and sometimes difficult journey of faith.
I’m Deborah, a middle-aged woman of faith who is still learning, still growing, and discovering what it means to follow Jesus through every season of life.
Here, we don’t pretend life is always sunshine and roses. We talk about the hard things, ask difficult questions, celebrate God’s faithfulness, and make room for both laughter and tears.
Most weeks it’s me sharing what’s on my heart. On occasion, you’ll hear conversations with people whose stories remind us that God is still at work, even when life doesn’t make sense.
I’m not here because I have all the answers. I’m here because I believe encouragement matters, our stories matter, and there’s always room to grow.
So wherever you are on your journey, I hope you’ll find a little encouragement here to keep walking boldly, living freely, and remaining OPEN to all God has for you.
This week’s episode came from a place of unexpected tragedy.
I found myself asking, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and reached out to Pastor Eric. He reminded me of the practice of Lament.
What does that look like to bring our pain, questions, disappointment, and sorrow honestly to God without letting go of Him?
In this episode, I share a some Scripture that remind us how grief and faith can exist at the same time, that God is close to the brokenhearted, and that hope does not require us to pretend like something does not hurt.
I also share four reflection questions and close with a prayer for anyone in the midst of grief and pain.
Faith can sound like praise but there are times it sounds more like tears, questions, silence, and still choosing to turn toward God.
Scripture:
Psalm 13
Lamentations 3:19-25
John 11:35
Psalm 34:18
Reference:
More on the practice of Lament from Grace Bible Church
https://gracebible.church/lament/
16 Oct 2026
Formed Against You, Not Finished With You SDET #38
Welcome to Episode #38.
This episode started with me wondering if I had been saying Isaiah 54:17 wrong for years.
You know when you suddenly realize you’ve been singing the wrong lyrics to a song? That was me with “formed” and “forged.”
But that little moment sent me back into Isaiah 54, and the chapter reminded me of so much more than one familiar verse.
In this episode, I share a few thoughts from Isaiah 54, including the reminder to enlarge the place of our tent, trust God’s unshakable love, and remember that no weapon formed against us gets the final word.
I also share four reflection questions to help us think about what has been formed against us, what we may have allowed to define us, and where God may still be asking us to make room for what He is doing.
My prayer is that this episode reminds you of one simple truth:
Something can be formed against you without having the authority to finish what God is still doing in you.
Scripture:
Isaiah 54: 2,10,16,17
9 Oct 2026
Make Him Your Dwelling Place SDET #37
Welcome to episode 37 of OPEN to Encourage.
This week I spent some time in Psalm 91, and I kept coming back to the idea of what it means to make God our dwelling place. Not only when things go wrong, but the place we choose to live from.
And I’ll share some thoughts on His faithfulness and the bubbly person who tells you can do it and you want to slap them. The relentlessly positive person can be an annoying, but it comes from a place of having walked through difficult things and still knowing that God is faithful.
One question to reflect on this week and a prayer for anyone who needs the reminder today that God is near, He is faithful, and He is with us even in trouble.
Scripture:
Psalm 91: 1-2, 11, 14-15
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Lamentations 3:22
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