I think I have watched every single episode of the reality show, Fixer Upper. I made sure that I recorded the ones that I missed and am guilty of watching some episodes more than once. You could say I’m a fan. I am fascinated by the transformations they can make on homes that many would…
Some days it is only a flicker. But even the smallest light will shine in the darkness. Being human means that I don’t always feel like living up to the world’s definition of “Shine”, but God’s definition is a very different one: At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He…
Yes, I know. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John we see “The Gospel According to…”, but in the Acts of the Apostles we see the gospel in action. The Gospel: the “good news” of Jesus the Messiah who came to bring salvation to all who place their faith in Him. While the first four books…
We all do it. Putting up walls around our heart to protect us from more pain. More hurt. And we think we’re doing it to be safe. Only the walls that we put up sometimes become our prison. What we think we’ve done to protect ourselves has, in reality, caused us to hide behind the…
Some days I don’t feel like praying, but I do anyway. Thank goodness I learned a very long time ago, that our faith cannot be based on feelings. But I’m tired. I’m tired of crying. Tired of pleading. Tired of begging. I’m tired of praying. Praying for that situation, that person, that problem. I know. …
Prayer is simple, really. We are the ones who over-complicate it. We assume that we have to get it just right, or that God is more concerned about our vocabulary than He is our heart. Prayer can be words spoken–but they might just be thoughts that are formed and directed at God. My prayer life was…
When I was little, I remember praying and asking God to let me live long enough to know what it was like to be a wife and a mom. Some would say I didn’t dream very big. Yet there are others who know exactly what was in that little girl’s heart. The desire to love…
I am stepping out of my comfort zone. This isn’t the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Obedience often demands it. This blog post isn’t for everyone. It’s a little awkward and not very flattering. Obedience overrules my inconvenience. And my pride. God is teaching me new things every day, and…
You’ve seen it and felt it–the “calm before the storm”. But that kind of calm can make you anxious. Fearful even, as you wonder what the repercussions will be… It is the quiet that comes after the storm that is refreshing. Soothing, in a way. Quiet respite from the turbulent time that has passed. The…
For the last two Sundays I have been away from my home church. The majority of the last 35 years I have had one pastor–my husband. As strange as that sounds to you, I can assure you that it sounds just as strange to me. In a lifetime of dreams, never once did I imagine…
June–the season of weddings. [I actually started this blog post quite some time ago after reading 2 Corinthians, Chapter 2. When the calendar flipped to June, I decided it would be the perfect time to post it]. I was a January bride, and yes, I was a very traditional bride with a veil. I had…
Everyone that knows me, knows that I love coffee. I set my coffee pot to automatically start brewing at 5:30 every morning. If I get up earlier, all I have to do is push a button and the brew starts dripping. With pause and serve, it’s only minutes before I can grab that first sip…
Shadows can be scary. When you think of what people fear the most–death, it is as though there is this looming shadow that follows us around until one day it catches up to us. Like the grim-reaper. But it’s just not true. “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in…
I have often hinted that it would be really convenient if God would just give me “a sign”. You know, like write in the clouds or have a pigeon drop a note at my door. Anything obvious would be helpful–especially when faced with a difficult or important decision. But it’s never happened. When Noah sent…
It’s an easy pattern to fall into. Letting circumstances dictate our joy. And the soil of circumstance can be pretty darn rocky. So we plant the seeds. We plan our days, our months, our years–and fill them with all of those things we think will bring us joy. But our plans just don’t always go…
