Hope Archives - Rising Above Real Life | Dr. Joy DahlRising Above Real Life

But... God

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Joy

Mental health has taken center stage because people still struggle in a “not normal” new normal. Our mental dialogue can actually drain us of positive outlook and both mental and physical strength. How do we disempower our insecurities? Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing | Tagged anchor, challenges, Change, Encourage, faithful, fixed bolts, gear, God, grace, harness, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Loss, mental dialogue, mental health, new normal, not normal, Persevere, Power, power statement, prayers, Purpose, rock climbing, ropes, safety, Strength, Stress, students, Success, thoughts, Trust, Truth, uncertainty, workers
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Set Aside Your Mourning Clothes

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Joy

The last two years have been a time of prolonged loss, anxiety, and uncertainty for many of us. And whether or not we remember when we put on our mourning clothes, many of us struggle with when we should take them off. How do we know? Continue reading →

Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Anxiety, Comfort, Courage, Death, Depression, Easter, Good Friday, Grief, Hope, imaginative prayer, Joy, Loss, Mourn, New Life, new season, Overcome, Pain, Peace, Pray, Prayer, Real Life, rejoice, Rise Above, Sabbath, uncertainty
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Our Greatest Work

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Joy

As we continue to emerge from a long season of uncertainty and isolation, we eagerly look ahead and begin envisioning new goals and even new dreams. How do we find re-energizing purpose in our everyday life, regardless of circumstances? Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Circumstances, Dream, everyday ministry, experience, feed, Gifts, glory, goals, Hope, Isolation, Jesus, Join God, mission, new year, Prayer, Purpose, resources, Talents, uncertain, Work
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The Secret to Beautiful Feet

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Joy

These days, we have access to more foot products than ever before. But feet aren’t judged on the way they look. Feet are judged on the message they carry. So what’s the secret to beautiful feet? Beautiful feet bring… Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Beautiful Feet, Believe, blessing, boldly, go, Good News, Gospel, Healing, Hope, Jesus, Love, Messenger, Peace, Purpose, secret, tell
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Our Power Source

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Joy

Difficult days of uncertainty and depletion lead to the question: What’s your power source? Consider light bulbs. Without a power source, they’re merely glass and metal without purpose. Once connected to their power source, they shine. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged beacon, Comfort, Connect, depletion, Encourage, glory, Hope, Jesus, Light, light of the world, light-bearer, Power, power source, Pray, Purpose, shine, together, uncertainty
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Cultivating Friendships & Female Allies

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Joy

Listen to the nightly news, read just-released statistics, talk to a few friends––and you’ll hear over and over again the hard realities of mandated isolation, increased challenges in daily life, and mounting obstacles as working women navigate the lingering effects of this pandemic. Now more than ever we need to forge bonds of sisterhood with the women in our circles… Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged acts of kindness, allies, authentic, build, care, Community, compare, compassion, compete, competition, condemn, Courage, cultivate, Encourage, female, flourish, friends, Friendship, Hope, judge, no fear, Prayer, Relationships, Strength, strong, support, women, Workplace
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An Audience of One

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Joy

Whether in person, online, or on social media, we spend a lot of time performing for other people. If we center our lives on pleasing others, living out each day gets harder and harder. It can feel impossible to create a new life script. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Audience of One, Change, dance, expectation, Faith, Heavenly Father, Hope, Jesus, life after death, Love, Peace, Performance, Pray, uncertainty, who am I
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Daring to Hope in 2021

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Joy

No one misses 2020: the ultimate year of loss for our generation. But as the chapter page turned to 2021, I wondered how I could muster up hope. So I decided to go back to the basics of spiritual renewal: creating and committing to a healthy rhythm of life. We all have different passions and interests, but the need for healthy rhythms remains universal. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged 2020, 2021, Community, Courage, Delight, discouraged, Exercise, flourish, forward, God's Word, grow, Hope, Loss, meditation, New Beginning, Physical Health, Rock of Christ, season, solitude, Spiritual Health, Work
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The Last Mile of Life

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Joy

Everyone faces life and death crossroads. And everyone’s experiences differ. This year in particular has impacted many of us as we or a loved one walk the last mile of life. Today my emotions remain raw while this season of incredible loss for me and my family wears on. I don’t have facts and figures to try to make sense of it all. Instead, I’d like to share a few thoughts from my heart. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged advocate, afterlife, assurance, Comfort, Death, die, glory, Heaven, Hope, hospice, Jesus, kindness, Loss, Love, Mourn, Peace, Pray, stand, Struggle, suffering
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Life in the Rearview Mirror

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Joy

There’s nothing normal as we head toward the end of 2020. We long for “normal.” We want things to go back to the way they were in February 2020, or October 2019, because no matter how hard things were then, at least we understood our known normal. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged forward, Hope, Hopeless, Isolation, Jesus, Journey, mirror, normal, Perspective, Promise, road, Struggle, Tomorrow, Unknown
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Please, No More!

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Joy

Like many of you, I thought this fall would usher in the return of normal work hours in offices and schools, eating in restaurants, and gathering with friends. But COVID-19. It feels like we’ve lost so much this year. How can we move forward into fall when we continue to grieve the loss of so many aspects of our used-to-be “normal” life? Continue reading →

Fun, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Brokenness, faithfulness, great, Grief, healthy, Hope, hymn, Jesus, life, Loss, morning, new mercy, Peace, Power, Pray, rhythm, school, Turmoil, Victory, Work
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A Message for Weary Souls

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Joy

As this over-the-top-difficult year wears on and hopes for a summer reprieve or a maskless fall fade, my mind can struggle to muster up positivity. I’ve heard I’m not alone. Apparently many of us wrestle with the lack of normalcy, inability to plan a way forward, and uncertainty of how long “this” will last. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged above all, core, Courage, Covid-19, exhaustion, guard, health, Heart, Hope, life-giving, mind, normal, pandemic, plan, Pray, Soul, soul care, spiritual practices, Struggle, Weary
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The Week After Easter

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Joy

The Easter message––that Jesus came to set us free and give us new life––does not change. Even in the confines of a pandemic. No one could have foreseen the magnitude of coronavirus strife. Except Jesus. Jesus knew that days like these were coming. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged bad news, Celebrate, Covid-19, Cross, Easter, Fear, Freedom, God, Good News, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, New Life, Pain, pandemic, Resurrection, Sorrow, Struggle, uncertainty
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Waiting Out the Wait

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Joy

We’re not good at waiting. We live in a culture of instant response and immediate gratification. “Right now” has become the norm and expectation. Unfortunately, at different times in life, we all have to wait. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Active Waiting, all things come, best things in life, Charles Schulz, control, Excellence, good things come to those who wait, goodness, grace, Hope, Passive Waiting, Patience, Snoopy, Wait, waiting, Woodrow Wilson
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What CAN I do?

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Joy

We experience seasons of illness and injury that engulf us like a suffocating suffering. We want to hope for complete healing. What CAN I do? I’ve pondered the depth of this question. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged beauty, Depression, doubt, emotional, Fear, Fight, Frustration, Grief, Happy, Hope, I Can, Illness, Injury, meditate, Mourn, Pain, Perseverance, Power, Pray, relational, renew, Run The Race, Running, Soar, spiritual, Strength, Struggle, suffering, suffocate, uncertainty, vocational, walk and not be faint, Weary, wings like eagles, You Can
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Sometimes There Aren't Words

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Joy

Sometimes there just aren’t words. But in those times there is Someone who speaks… Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Abba, Betrayal, Comfort, Darkness, Despair, Fear, God's Word, Grief, Hope, Jesus, Refuge, Savior
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Welcome to My Messy

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Joy

My life is messy. Of course, you wouldn’t know my life is messy just by looking at me. Most of us don’t want others to see our behind-the-scenes messy truth. And whether we recognize it or not, we live in a constant battle for self-worth, fighting against isolation. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged burden, Child of God, doubt, Fear, Friend, Hope, invitation, Jesus, Journey, life is messy, New Life, normal, Prayer, Real Life, self worth, Shame, spiritual, Strength, Trust, Truth, welcome
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Your Life through the Keyhole

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Joy

How we view our life each day is like looking through the keyhole of a big old door. It’s as if we’re looking at ourselves, other people, and circumstances through a tiny window. Our vantage is severely limited. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing | Tagged faith not sight, Follow Me, Hope, New Life, Perspective, turn to Jesus, Worry
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How Not to Hate the Wait

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Joy

In our world of one-click shopping and on-demand streaming, much of life no longer unfolds over time. We want what we want when we want it. We require instantaneous life. Unfortunately, God often asks us to wait. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged Be still, Courage, grow, hard, Hope, Love, Mount Up On Wings, New Beginning, New Life, Patience, Power, Praise, Renewal, Strength, Wait, Walk With God, wings like eagles
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Unanswered Prayers

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Joy

When someone dies, we struggle with the “why”. Why didn’t God answer our prayers? As Easter approaches, the “why” questions of the disciples mirror our own. How can we continue to trust God? Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged confusion, Cross, Death, Easter, God the Father, good work, grace, Grief, Heaven, Hope, Jesus, Jesus Save Me, Love, New Life, Power, Savior, Strength, Sufficient, Weakness, Why, work on earth
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Greatest Gift: A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Joy

What’s your favorite Christmas carol? One of my all-time favorites is the “12 Days of Christmas” as sung by John Denver and the Muppets. Corny, maybe. But then I found out the meaning behind the words… Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing | Tagged 12 Days of Christmas, Child of God, Christmas Carol, Christmas Classic, Everlasting Love, God's Love, Greatest Gift, Hope, John Denver, Muppets, New Life, Partridge, Pear Tree, Reason for the Season, True Love
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What's Your Superpower?

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Joy

If you were approached by a genie wanting to grant you one wish for any superhero power, what would you ask for? My first thought: ask for something I could use in the battle between good and evil… Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged Escape, Fly, Freedom, Hope, Power, Real Life, Renewal, Rise Above, Soar, Strength, Superhero, Superpower
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Witnesses

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Joy

What comes to mind when you hear “witness”? Recently, I’ve been challenged to step up as a witness. In fact, ALL believers are called to testify as witnesses. Not in a court of law. But in our lives and through our work. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing | Tagged Acts 1:8, Comfort, Connect, Courage, Eternal Life, Eyewitness, Faith and Work, Firsthand Account, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Join God, Mission Field, My Story, Power, Prayer, Proclaim, Protect, Story Telling, Strength, Transform, Witness, Work, Workplace
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Consider My Bluebonnets

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Joy

Bluebonnets are to Texas what tulips are to Holland, azaleas are to Augusta, and cherry blossoms are to Washington DC. But what makes bluebonnets so remarkable is that they’re WILD. These words came to mind: “Consider how the wildflowers grow…” Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Bluebonnets, Bristol, Ennis, Faith, God's Love, Hope, Jesus, Relationship With Jesus, Savior, wildflowers, Worry
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A Promise from God

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Joy

Whether our requests are big or small, at some point we all wonder if God hears us. Does the Creator of the universe care about our prayers for a new job, loneliness, a persistent cough, or help paying bills? In a word: Yes! Not only does He care, He promises so much more. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged Child of God, God's Love, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Promise, God's Word, Hope, Jesus Save Me, New Life, Overcome, Real Life, Rise Above, Where Is God
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Which Way Did He Go?

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Joy

We can’t focus on both Jesus AND circumstances. It’s impossible! If we choose to focus on circumstances, suddenly it’s as if Jesus is gone. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Circumstances, Emptiness, Fear, God's Love, Hope, Jesus, Overcome, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Storms Of Life
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Why “Do Good” For No Reason?

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Joy

We genuinely want to help others. But it hurts when there’s no response or, worse, a bad response to our good efforts. So why keep trying? Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Anyway, Do Good, Doing Good, Help, Hope, Love, Martina McBride, Mother Teresa, New Life, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood
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What Would Your Last Words Be?

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Joy

If you knew you were going to die and you could speak to a group of people, what would you say? This is the story of Rachel Barkey, age 37. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Death, Death is not Dying, Faith, Fear, Happiness, Heaven, Hope, Last Words, New Life, Peace, Rachel Barkey, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Salvation, Sisterhood, Strength, Truth
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I Am Second

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Joy

We push hard to be first but we’re broadsided by reality. Life can stink! New life is possible once we stop trying to control our destiny. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Broken Dreams, Brokenness, Dreams, Fear, Help Me Jesus, Hope, I Am Second, Loneliness, Love, New Beginning, New Life, Pray, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood
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Treasures in the Lost and Found

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Joy

Have you lost something you loved and couldn’t replace? Favorite things are too precious to easily let go. That’s how God feels about you. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Angels, Celebrate, Fear, Found, God's Love, Guilt, Healing, Heaven, Hope, Lost, Lost and Found, New Life, Party, Prayer, Prodigal Daughter, Prodigal Son, Real Life, Regret, Rise Above, Rising Above, Share, Sisterhood, Treasure
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Wallenda’s Praise & Prayer at 1500'

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Joy

Nik Wallenda crossed the Grand Canyon on a tightrope. No net, no harness. Wallenda’s peace and courage came from Jesus. Ours does too. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Courage, Fear, God, Grand Canyon, Help Me Jesus, High Wire, Hope, Joy, Overcome, Peace, Praise, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Trials, Wallenda
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Not Everything Happens for a Reason

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Joy

“Everything happens for a reason” suggests there can be a good twist. Even terror, murder & abuse? No! Not everything is good or from God. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Bad Things, Everything Happens for a Reason, Evil, Faith, God's Love, God's Power, Good, Help, Help Me Jesus, Holy Spirit, Hope, Praise, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Survive
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When Plans and Dreams are Shattered

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Joy

When our lives come to a screeching halt because of bad surprises, how can we hold onto faith? We can’t just pretend everything is fine. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing | Tagged Broken Dreams, Dreams, Faith, Hope, New Life, Plans, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Shattered, Sisterhood, Surprises, Survivor
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Want to be Happy? Practice “Happy”!

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Joy

Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” So do this: Practice being happy this holiday season – and it will carry on to next year! Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged 10 year 10000 hour rule, Aristotle, Christmas, Excellence, Faith, Forgiveness, Generosity, Habit, Happy, Happy Holidays, Hope, Joy, Love, Patience, Peace, Perfect 10, Practice Makes Perfect, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Smile, Thankfulness
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Past Scars: Stepping Stones to Purpose

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Joy

We can find purpose if we realize our past struggles allow us to help others who are struggling. No shame and no fear of our past in Christ! Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Find Purpose, Healing, Heaven, Help Me Jesus, Hope, Life of Purpose, Love, New Beginning, New Life, Past Scars, Purpose-Filled Life, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Stepping Stones
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