by Elaine Olsen | Jul 3, 2025 | christian perfection, courage, discipleship, faith, freedom, obedience
What’s the strongest weapon in your arsenal of faith against the forces of evil and wickedness in the world? What do you most rely upon when standing on the front lines of a spiritual battle? Prayer? Bible reading? Fasting? Witnessing? Worship? Steadfastness?...
by Elaine Olsen | Apr 14, 2018 | brokenness, courage, fellowship with God, letting go, pain, suffering, surrender
Betrayal. It’s a terrible sting, a wounding not easily salved. Betrayal cuts more profoundly than disappointment because betrayal is rooted in motive. Betrayal is planned deception. Betrayal is attached to the heart. Whereas I am often disappointed by someone’s...
by Elaine Olsen | Jul 23, 2017 | courage, evil, faith, fellowship with God, prayer, rest, strength, surrender
“Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” Those are the words chiseled into the marble sarcophagus that holds the body of an unidentified military veteran from WWI. In addition, two other unidentified soldiers from WWII and the Korean War are...
by Elaine Olsen | Sep 12, 2014 | anchor verse, courage, faith, obedience, peace, peace for the journey, pilgrimage, trust
Sometimes we cannot see the way that God is taking us. Really, most days it’s that way, is it not? Just steppin’ on in faith because it’s the best we can do. As a people deeply connected to the heart of God, we try to honor that connection through our obedience and...
by Elaine Olsen | Jun 5, 2014 | church life, conviction, courage, friendship, living God's truth, ministry life
My heart is tender toward her tonight – the new girl who showed up at our summer kick-off, Wednesday night fellowships at the pool. She was easy to spot, stuck there at a table of men who out-aged her by at least fifty years. Talk about awkward. When I asked...
by Elaine Olsen | May 21, 2014 | courage, creation, fellowship with God, peace, pilgrimage, provision, rest, trust
This has been my saving grace in this season. Mind you, not the grace that saves me from my sin but, rather, the grace that keeps my sanity intact. Whenever the stressors in my life seem too big and my capacity for handling them feels too small, I strap on my tennis...
