Owls, Night Seasons, and the God Who Sees in the Dark
Hope, Anxiety, Animals of the Bible, Rise Up and Build, depression, Deadly Darts of the Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Encouragement, Comfort Dana Rongione Hope, Anxiety, Animals of the Bible, Rise Up and Build, depression, Deadly Darts of the Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Encouragement, Comfort Dana Rongione

Owls, Night Seasons, and the God Who Sees in the Dark

Did you know you can learn a lot of theology from a bird with big eyes and a funny hoot? I didn't either—at least, not until my Bible study on the animals of the Bible landed on the owl. Suddenly, this "spooky" night bird became one of my favorite little professors.

In Isaiah 43, God says something that stopped me in my tracks: "The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls..." (Isaiah 43:20a). The owls honour Him... in the dark. They don't sing like the sweet little songbirds at sunrise. They don't trill in the bright blue sky. They hoot in the lonely, desolate places when everyone else has gone quiet and gone home.

Most birds are at their best in the sunshine, but the owl is built for the night.

Read More
Broken But Beautiful
Encouragement, Comfort, Weary, Rise Up and Build, Anxiety, depression, Deadly Darts of the Devil Dana Rongione Encouragement, Comfort, Weary, Rise Up and Build, Anxiety, depression, Deadly Darts of the Devil Dana Rongione

Broken But Beautiful

I recently learned about a fascinating Japanese art form called kintsugi. Rather than tossing broken pottery into the bin, artisans carefully piece the fragments back together using a special adhesive made from tree sap. But here's the truly remarkable part: they don’t hide the cracks. Instead, they highlight them by filling the seams with gold, creating something even more beautiful than the original piece.

As I studied photos of these stunning works of art, tears filled my eyes. You see, I know what it's like to feel broken. The weight of anxiety and depression has left me with countless cracks and fissures. The battle against chronic illness has left me weary and battered. There are days when I feel utterly shattered by negative thoughts and overwhelming fears, wondering if I'll ever be whole again. Perhaps you can relate?

Read More
Shining Through the Shadows
Positive Life, Encouragement, Rise Up and Build, Anxiety, depression Dana Rongione Positive Life, Encouragement, Rise Up and Build, Anxiety, depression Dana Rongione

Shining Through the Shadows

In Wales, the sun is very hit-and-miss, especially during the long winter months. Just this morning, I noticed the blue skies and bright sun and made plans to do a little work outside. I went out and checked on my lawn chair, which was surprisingly dry. Then, I went back in to finish the chore I was in the middle of, with plans to go outside and enjoy the weather as soon as I was finished. A few minutes later, I donned my sweater, grabbed my laptop, and headed outside. Unfortunately, by then, the sun was hiding beneath several layers of gray clouds, and the wind had picked up, giving the air a damp chill. I waited a few minutes to see if the clouds and winds would pass. They didn't. So, I grabbed my stuff and went back inside, lamenting the fact that, once again, I had just missed the sun.

Read More