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

Believe Boldly

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Joy

Scripture uses “courage” and “boldness” (including derivatives) over 110 times. To live boldly, we must believe boldly. How can we live and believe boldly? Continue reading →

Growth, Sisterhood | Tagged Armor of God, Believe, belong, boldly, boldness, chosen, Community, Courage, good work, Honesty, identity, integrity, Jesus, Most High God, Pray, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, stand, Work, Workplace
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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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Thankfulness As Our Purpose

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Joy

As the calendar winds down on another unprecedented year, we gladly enter this joyful season of giving and thanksgiving. Many of us feel a gentle nudge toward understanding God’s call to purposeful daily life. Have you ever asked God about His will for your life? Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Circumstances, Encourage, Fruit of the Spirit, give thanks, God, God's Will, Happy, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joy, joyful, Love, Pray, Prayer, rhythm, season of giving, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving
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Lies in Dark Chocolate

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Joy

Research affirms that our happiness increases when we feel seen, heard, and loved. As women, we have an innate desire to belong. But finding community and cultivating new friendships with people who “get” you and welcome you without judgement––can feel near impossible. Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged belong, BFF, commit, Community, Encourage, Fear, Friend, Friendship, Happiness, invite, Isolation, Jesus, lie, Mourn, one another, Pray, Real Life, rejoice, seclusion, Share Life, sister, Sisterhood, Trust, Work
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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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Don't Be Anxious?

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Joy

Living our best life––or at least a life characterized by peace, joy, and healthy rhythm––has never been more difficult for many working women. Myself included. Are we doing something wrong? How do we experience peace in anxiety-riddled days… Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged Anxiety, apostle Paul, Breathe, Encouragement, Fear, Fruit of the Spirit, Jesus, Joy, kindness, Love, meditate, meditation, mindfulness, New Life, Patience, Peace, Power, Pray, Strength, Work, working women, worship
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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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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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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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Sheroes of the Bible

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Joy

The last two months unfolded like an archeological dig. Week after week, I joined a group of women to unlock stories of the past, dust off musty translations, and peer into golden lives of unlikely sheroes. Who are these sheroes? Women easily overlooked, discounted, and even scorned. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories, Sisterhood | Tagged Bible, broken, Courage, Deborah, Do what I can do, El Roi, Encourage, Faith, God, Hagar, Jesus, Love, Mary, Mourn, ordinary, Pray, Rahab, Shero, Sheroes of the Faith, stand, support, Tamar, trial
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Your Christmas Wish

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Joy

Each year growing up, I made a list of things I wanted for Christmas. “A horse” always topped the list. I knew I had to be nice, not naughty. Looking back, that’s probably why I never got the horse. Anyhoo… Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Christmas, Freedom, Gifts, invitation, Magi, Messiah, Pray, Promise, Three Wise Men, Treasures, Wish
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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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Who Do You Say I Am?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Joy

Many of us know the greatest stories ever told. And often our focus is on the action or players or outcome. But the stories of the Bible have another purpose. A.W. Tozer said, “What you think about God is the most important thing about you.” Continue reading →

Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Author of Life, Empty Tomb, Escape, Follow, God the Father, Greatest Stories, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Moses, Noah, Pray, Tozer, Trust, What you think about God, Who is Jesus
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Fear or Faith at Work?

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Joy

It’s no fun living like a double agent with different personas at work v. home. How do we overcome fear of living out our faith at work? Do we have to talk about Jesus in order to be a witness at work? Here are 3 critical truths. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged evangelism, Faith, Faith at Work, Fear, Holy Spirit, Pray, Transform, Witness, Work, Workplace
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No More Masks

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Joy

Masks. We all wear them. We’re afraid to let people see and know the real us. We hide behind our masks and often fake it. But freedom comes when we live out our truth. Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Sisterhood | Tagged #NoMoreMasks, Confidence, Fake, Forgiveness, Freedom, Hide, Hiding Place, Jesus, Masks, New Life, Pray, Reveal, Safe, Secrets, Seek, Sisterhood, Strength, Truth
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Sit Among Your Weeds

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Joy

Today I start with a confession: I’ve been struggling. Weeds are the straw that broke the camel’s (my) back, so to speak. The last little burden that became unbearable. But from my weeds emerged a transformative message from God… Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing, Real Life Stories | Tagged Frustration, Jesus, Pray, Savior, Teresa of Avila, Treasure, Wait, Weeds, Wisdom
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Cross the Starting Line - Just Start!

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Joy

Is it harder to cross the starting line or the finish line? We often don’t move forward because we’re too afraid of the unknown. Just start! Continue reading →

Fun, Growth, Hope & Healing | Tagged Dream, Faith, Fear, Finish Line, Hope Just Start, Just Do It, Love, New Beginning, New Life, Pray, Purpose, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Starting Line, Step of Faith, Unknown, What If
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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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Cross the Starting Line - Just Start!

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Joy

Is it harder to cross the starting line or the finish line? Many of us never move forward because we’re more afraid of the unknown than the known. Continue reading →

Unexpected | Tagged Dream, Faith, Fear, Finish Line, Hope, Just Start, Love, New Beginning, New Life, Pray, Purpose, Real Life, Rise Above, Rising Above, Sisterhood, Starting Line, Step of Faith, Unknown, What If
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