Life’s a Rollercoaster: Get Your Breastplate of Righteousness in Place

July 15, 2023 By Coco Cabrel

“Stand firm, then… with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” Ephesians 6:14a (NIV) I vividly remember when the first loop rollercoaster, Lighting Loops, opened at the pre-Six Flags amusement park, Great Adventure, in Jackson, NJ. I worked there a couple summers, so I happily rode it many times. I was accustomed to the lap bars that held you in place on what might now be considered quaint, “old-fashioned” rollercoasters. At Great Adventure, that classic coaster was The Runaway Train. The... Read more

Belt of Truth: Why We Buckle It First

July 4, 2023 By Coco Cabrel

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“Therefore put on the full armor of God…. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,” Ephesians 6:13a-14a (NIV) On the morning of my baptism, Satan took a major swipe at me in a way he thought would work – because it had worked in his favor before. (To read how he used my husband in such a sly way that morning, click to this post now, and then come right back to continue.) In that... Read more

Wearing God’s Full Armor – How Can You Get Strong Enough?

June 29, 2023 By Coco Cabrel

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I love me some swords clanging against shields, shields shielding against arrows, and the valiant – if violent – strength displayed in such scenes. After accepting Christ, I wondered if I’d have to give up this guilty pleasure. All. That. Violence. Then I read about wearing God’s full armor. Well, well, well. It seemed like a lot. Requiring spiritual strength. And #skills. I started to wonder: In our 21st century life, when the violence can definitely be brutal, yet is... Read more

Can God’s Wings Shield My Fear – During a Colonoscopy?

June 21, 2023 By Coco Cabrel

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How scared do you get when you’ve got a medical procedure – like a colonoscopy – coming up? For one of my colonoscopies, a nurse to taught me how to shield that specific, modern-day fear… by using God’s wings, as described in Scripture. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4 (NIV) Sheer Misery and Sheer Fear My mom died of colon cancer,... Read more

How Prayer Practice Is Like Track Practice

June 14, 2023 By Coco Cabrel

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“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (ESV) What does Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, want us to practice? He wants us to practice prayer. But why “practice”? When Track Practice Hurts My son came home from track practice one day, early in the season before his first meet, utterly exhausted. Despite tons of homework and a looming... Read more

Is It Sin to Not Do a Thing (That Thing We’re Supposed to Do)?

June 6, 2023 By Coco Cabrel

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“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” James 4:17 (NIV) God’s First Test: Would I Sin? When we lived in a high rise in Koreatown in Los Angeles, I had a beautiful balcony garden. It was high-maintenance and big, especially for a city apartment. I loved my lush urban oasis – and I loved caring for it – very much. During this time, I accepted a position as... Read more