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Continue reading →: Hope amid HopelessnessWhat we can learn from refugees and those surviving in war zones Where does hope come from? …when you’ve lost so much and so many doors seem closed? …when you cannot imagine a bright future? …when opportunities that others have are not available to you? …when there are few signs…
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Continue reading →: Coping with Overwhelming DistressPart Three: Be Hopeful “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into…
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Continue reading →: Coping with Overwhelming DistressPart Two: Be Constructive In my previous blog post, I talked about the importance of self-compassion as a key strategy in coping with overwhelming distress in our lives. In this post, I offer a second strategy, which I’ve observed among those who are successfully managing the stresses of living in…
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Continue reading →: Coping with Overwhelming DistressPart One: Self-Compassion Are you tired of feeling angry, sad, or hopeless so much of the time? I sure am. When I returned from Thailand in June, I came home very tired. I was grateful for all the opportunities I had had to teach and minister to refugees and church…
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Continue reading →: Don’t Give Up!Why Joseph refused to act like a victim One of my favorite biblical characters is Joseph, whose story is told in Genesis 37-50. His father, Israel, loved him more than any of his other 11 brothers, but throughout much of his life he suffered unjustly. His brothers threw him into…
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Continue reading →: The Journey to JoyHow Jesus can help you get back on your feet Right before he was crucified, Jesus said to his disciples, “You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy…. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you…
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Continue reading →: A Time to Grieve
Sometimes weeping is exactly what we most need to do. (A Biblical Reflection for Holy Week) In the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, the preacher writes: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die……
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Continue reading →: What kind of person do you want to be?
Charge to Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary graduates (March 30, 2025) Graduates, congratulations! You’ve successfully completed your degree. And we’re here today to celebrate your great accomplishment. At the same time, as you probably know, graduation ceremonies are also called commencements. And that’s because, we are not only celebrating what you’ve…
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Continue reading →: The Light of Day
Why keeping our eyes on Jesus is so helpful What do you think? Is the sun rising or setting in this photo? Without context, it’s not always so easy to tell the time of day. Likewise, when darkness casts a thick shadow over our personal lives, or over our country…
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Continue reading →: Do the Good Thing
“[God] has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NIV). These are really tough times for so many people, for so many reasons, in so many…
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Continue reading →: A Different Kind of Happy
Faith-inspired happiness This holiday season, I’m thinking a lot about those who are far away from home, those who cannot go home, those who no longer have a home to go to, and those who may still live at home but no longer feel safe or happy in their own…
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Continue reading →: When They Die Too Soon
A Biblical Reflection on Handling the Premature Death of a Loved One “When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again….”…
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Continue reading →: Deep Calls to Deep
A Reflection on God’s Comforting and Inspiring Presence in Nature
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Continue reading →: To Speak Up or Not?
What Jesus’s example teaches us about integrity and courage Sometimes what other people think, say, or do is very upsetting to me. But I don’t always know how to handle the situation. Should I say something? Should I ignore them? Do I dare risk their criticism or some other kind…
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Continue reading →: Grieving Our LossesThe passage from Psalm 137 describes intense emotions of grief and rage in the face of loss and tragedy. Referencing the horrible suffering and destruction in Myanmar today, the author reflects on the stages of grief and offers insight on coping strategies. Encouraging acknowledgment of pain while emphasizing the eventual…
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Continue reading →: Don’t Forget to Stay Grounded
Jesus chastised the disciples because they were letting their circumstances unnerve them. They were giving too much power to their fears, forgetting that following Jesus into the boat calls for trusting God through the storm.
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Continue reading →: “A Beautiful Thing”
“’Leave her alone,’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me’” (Mark 14:6) There’s a well-known story in the Bible about a humble woman who anointed Jesus in the home of a man named Simon. In Matthew and Mark, the woman anointed his head…
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Continue reading →: “How to Have A Happier New Year”
Happy New Year! Of course, that’s what everyone always says this time of year, and I sincerely mean well whenever I say it. I also like it when someone says it to me. But the truth is, what I really wish for you is that you would discover greater peace,…
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Continue reading →: When God and the Church Let Us Down
I find myself thinking a lot about God and the role religion is supposed to play in the world. And I’m not happy. I wish that God would do more to help those who cry out to him for relief from their suffering. I wish that the Church would do…
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Continue reading →: Does God Care?
What Jesus’ raising of Lazarus says about God’s heart. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.” John 11:33 Normally, the well-known story of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-43) is told as…
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Continue reading →: What Makes Jesus So Special?
A Christmas Meditation As most people know, Jesus was born in a stable, a lowly place fit for animals, not humans (Luke 2:1-7). He grew up poor, without privilege or comfort. His family and all the Jewish people lived in a land occupied by Roman soldiers, who could be heartless,…
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Continue reading →: Coping Better with Unwanted Change: Four Steps to Greater Peace and Joy (Conclusion)
Conclusion The four-step restorative process that we have been discussing in successive weeks—See, Accept, Appreciate, and Delight—is simple in theory, but often takes a fair amount of work and patience to move through all the steps fruitfully. Are you seeing progress? If not, go back to the earlier steps, and…
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Continue reading →: Coping Better with Unwanted Change: Four Steps to Greater Peace and Joy (Step 4)
We’ve been talking about a four-step restorative process to help you cope better with unwanted change or loss in your life. Once you can see and accept what you’ve lost or cannot change (Steps 1-2) and have started to appreciate your remaining blessings and opportunities (Step 3), you will experience…
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Continue reading →: Coping Better with Unwanted Change: Four Steps to Greater Peace and Joy (Step 3)
By now, if you’ve been working through Steps 1 and 2, you know how hard it can be sometimes to face the truth about something you don’t want to be true. Even when you think you’ve accepted whatever you’ve lost or the burden you must carry, sometimes the old feelings…
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Continue reading →: Coping Better with Unwanted Change: Four Steps to Greater Peace and Joy (Step 2)
To help you cope better with unwanted loss, change, or burden in your life, the four steps in this restorative process provide a road map to greater peace and joy. The timetable can range from minutes, days, months, to even years in some cases. Don’t try to rush the process.…
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Continue reading →: Coping Better with Unwanted Change: Four Steps to Greater Peace and Joy (Step 1)
What unwanted change is wreaking havoc in your life right now? Maybe it’s a significant loss—you were fired, someone you loved died or left you, or you’re grappling with an unexpected financial setback or liability. Maybe you received a frightening diagnosis, or you are struggling with an ongoing illness or…
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Continue reading →: Look Up for Hope
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. The LORD will not let your foot be moved… The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will…
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Continue reading →: No Easy Answers in a War Zone
Only Faith, Hope, and Love How can you answer troubling questions about God that have no easy answers? How can you talk about God’s love to traumatized people in a war zone, when God seems so distant and disengaged from their suffering? During my weekly Bible study that I conduct…
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Continue reading →: When I almost lost my faith…and the life-changing decision I made
When my mother slowly lost her mind due to dementia (Alzheimer’s disease), I was heartbroken. Then, I was angry. As the months turned into years, I started to become resentful and bitter toward God. Why didn’t God spare her and us from so much suffering? Why did he fail us?…
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Continue reading →: Don’t let anxiety rule your life!
What’s your strategy for dealing with anxiety? Do you have a good one? Is it working? In this chapter, I talk about my own experience with anxiety and some of what I have learned that has been most helpful to me over the years. For example, when I face my…
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Continue reading →: Chapter 6 in “What We Can Expect from God Now” (read by the author)
VIDEO SERIES ON TRUSTING GOD IN TROUBLED TIMES Produced in ENGLISH with BURMESE subtitles When we are so cruelly mistreated or suffer tragedy, or whose lives and hopes have been severely disrupted by abusers or threatening forces, we will naturally experience the typical symptoms of grief (shock, bargaining, anger, depression).…
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Continue reading →: Chapter 5 in “What We Can Expect from God Now”
VIDEO SERIES ON TRUSTING GOD IN TROUBLED TIMES Produced in ENGLISH with BURMESE subtitles It’s such a disturbing and frightening time in so many other places around the world right now. The past weeks have been especially terrifying for the Burmese people in Myanmar. More brutality. More death. More uncertainty.…
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Continue reading →: Chapter 4 in “What We Can Expect from God Now” (Read by author)
VIDEO SERIES ON TRUSTING GOD IN TROUBLED TIMES Produced in ENGLISH with BURMESE subtitles Suffering. It’s so often unfair, unjust, and wretched. No one wants to suffer–ever! Yet, everyone suffers, and suffering is nothing new, particularly for those who seek to honor God and serve him faithfully. Jesus himself suffered…
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Continue reading →: Chapter 3 “What We Can Expect from God Now” (read by author)
VIDEO SERIES ON TRUSTING GOD IN TROUBLED TIMES Produced in ENGLISH with BURMESE subtitles In this third chapter, I talk about three types of responses to the COVID-19 crisis: there are the • action-takers, • positive-thinkers, and • overwhelmed observers. Which type of person best describes you? Which kind of…
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Continue reading →: Chapter 2–What We Can Expect from God Now (read by author)
VIDEO SERIES ON TRUSTING GOD IN TROUBLED TIMES (Produced in ENGLISH with BURMESE subtitles) In times of crisis, many of us instinctively respond with a Fight, Flee or Freeze response, which can lead to poor decisions and ineffective leadership. So, how can we go beyond these instincts to make good…
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Continue reading →: What We Can Expect from God Now–Chapter 1
NEW VIDEO SERIES ON TRUSTING GOD IN TROUBLED TIMES! (Produced in ENGLISH with BURMESE subtitles) I’m very happy to now be able to share with you my most recent book, “What We Can Expect from God Now: Seven Spiritual Truths for Trusting God in Troubled Times.” I originally wrote the…
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Continue reading →: Finding Jesus in the Darkness
This video was inspired by conversations with Burmese people inside of Myanmar, who feel powerless to stop the oppression, to keep their country from becoming a completely failed state, and now, to stem the advance of COVID-19, which has recently begun to spiral out of control. Hundreds of people are…
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Continue reading →: The Power of God’s Love
In this short video, I talk about where I see God’s light shining amid the darkness in Myanmar’s current crisis. The darkness is great, but the power of God’s love is inspiring and very encouraging, as lives are being nourished, strengthened, and changed among those who are actively seeking to…
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Continue reading →: Power in Our Powerlessness
Today, I’m going to talk about a spiritual practice that has been very helpful to me when I feel so powerless and angry, especially in those situations where someone I care about is being treated unjustly or being mistreated, and when I feel so limited in my ability to help.…
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Continue reading →: Light in the Darkness
I’m in the process of creating a series of short videos to support and encourage the Burmese people and all those who need and want God’s help in the midst of their suffering. Each video focuses on one spiritual truth, based on the teaching of the Bible, my faith journey…
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Continue reading →: For Whom Should a Christian Vote?
There’s a lot of screaming going on right now. Emotions are running high, political opinions are polarized, and each side is predicting the end of democracy if the other candidate wins. November 3 is the official, designated Election Day, but who knows when all the votes will be counted and…
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Continue reading →: A Marriage Full of Love and Grace
On October 10, 2020, I had the privilege of preaching at the marriage ceremony of the son of close family friends and his fiancée, both of whom I have come to know and love over the past several years. The following Charge to the Couple was edited both to protect…
About the athor:
Rev. Timothy C. Geoffrion, Ph.D, DD.
Tim is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches with a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. He also holds an (honorary) Doctor of Divinity degree from Myanmar Institute of Theology (MIT). He has served as a church pastor, a seminary professor, and the executive director of a nonprofit organization. Currently, as co-founder and president of Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries, he focuses on Christian leadership development globally. Read more.
Learn about how Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries is teaching, inspiring,
and encouraging Christian leaders around the world.
Visit fhlglobal.org to learn more.
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