DOP Issue 36: Restoration

Restoration is “the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment; a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition; restitution of something taken away or lost.” As believers, we look forward eagerly to the day when God will “make all things new”. We live in the reality that, through Jesus’ coming, restoration is happening even now. Jesus’ life was for more than His death. It was to show us the way to God, and to demonstrate how He is calling all things to Himself. Jesus did not come to merely renovate our busted up earth - to patch its holes and paint over its faded and peeling sides. He came to restore and redeem it to its original created glory. He came to revive our souls and lead them to the Good, restoring us to relationship with God and that for which we were created.

In this issue, we refresh our vision for the present-tense restorative work of Christ, and highlight the delight of renewal in our relationships, homes, jobs, and other practical elements of everyday life.

Content Includes:

• Restorative Power, by Abby Hess

• A Broken Heart to Rebuild a City + Restore a People, by Rebekah Slabach

• Once Upon a Renovation, by Annie Carpenter

• Fostering God’s Children, by Mary Graber

• Featured Maker: Restoring, Remaking, Reusing, with Jessica Lehigh

• Treasure Hunting: Discovering and Reclaiming Second-hand Items for Your Home, by Brianna Kauffman

• Wild to Winsome in One Season: A Garden Experiment, by Dorcas Peight

• Eight Days in Denmark, by Rae Slabach

• Making More of Mealtime, by Anna L. Martin

• He Restores My Soul: Comfort in Grief, by Jane Weaver

• The Secret of the Heart of Evil: How the Cross Triumphs, by Tim Slabach