I learned that I can only stand firm in the Lord’s strength… this is the key!
All in Trust
Secrets
I like secrets! To me, they are fun little surprises… like gifts! Helpful hints, secrets or tips that encourage you or make life better.
Journey with Jesus
Have you been to the coast of Maine? It is beautiful, dramatic and rocky, just like a Thomas Kinkade painting… lighthouses and all! I recently went on a mission trip there. Jesus used this experience to make helpful and beautiful changes in my heart. This is a journey that I chose and enjoyed.
Lifequakes
The giant and grasshopper mentality of the Israelites brought Moses to his knees once again, pleading. God’s reputation was at stake: “If you put these people to death all at one time, the nations who have heard this report about you (that you are with these people, v.14) will say, ‘The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath; so he slaughtered them in the desert’” (14:14-16)
Expectancy or Expectation
My precious granddaughter is in the terrific twos, so her emotions are all over the spectrum. If she does not get what she wants, screaming, crying, and pouting follow.
Upon reading Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons, I realized I was more like my granddaughter than I cared to admit.
A Picture of Mercy
If I asked you to take a picture of something representing God’s mercy, what would your photo include? Would it be a selfie of you and your friend hugging—the friend you had previously hurt with your words. Would you take a picture of the warning you received from the police officer instead of a speeding ticket?
Laughter
Sarah laughed but it was laughter of doubt, as if to say… “Ha, that is not happening!”
Has God ever told you something that seemed laughable?
Surrendering Now!
In my plans for big events this year, my husband and I wanted a vacation for his 60th birthday.
But God made it clear that His will for my husband was that he was to have surgery to remove cancer from his body on his birthday.
Unloved, Yet Loved
Have you ever felt unloved?
Genesis 29 unfolds the story of Leah, who was married to a man who loved someone else. God saw Leah in her unloved state and opened her womb. She gave birth to Jacob’s first-born son, Reuben, and declared, “…the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now” (Genesis 29:32).
Motion at Your Front Door
A loud thump on our front door shattered our peace and quiet as we relaxed one evening. We looked but could not find anything. Before the evening expired my husband had ordered a ring doorbell for our front porch.
With a ring doorbell a person gets messages on their phone to alert them of any movement picked up on the front porch camera. The message displayed: “There is motion at your front Door.”
In The Thick of Trouble
Thorns… I don’t like them.
Recently, I was caught in a fight with multiple vine-like thorn bushes while trying to clear an area of land. The more I wrestled with them, the more they caught my clothes and circled around me… like a live animal attacking. I cried out for help!
Surrender
As I began this year, I prayed to the Lord to show me a word that He wants me to focus on for this year. And He brought to mind the word… Surrender.
And My Word for the Year is…FEAR!?
Really—Fear? Who in the world would choose “fear” as their word for the year? But that is the word that dawned on me as my girlfriends and I began a journey through Kathy Howard’s Before His Throne* Bible study in January.
Rest for My Soul
The freedom to take breaks whenever I choose ranks as a treasured retirement perk. Strategically placed rocking chairs testify to that priority.
Never Alone – God Will Use Everything (Even the Bad Stuff) for His Glory
“How do you cope with all these unanswered questions and still smile?” she asked. My answer surprised her. “I don’t ask God why. I ask how? How God can you use this season to draw me closer to You?”
Never Alone – Trust the One Who Knows the Plan
When our conversation ended, I thought about how Noah built an ark before a drop of rain fell; the Red Sea didn’t part until Moses put his foot in the water; and Esther used her gifts of diplomacy and compassion to save a nation.
Strength of My Heart
Recently, I was walking behind a grandmother holding her granddaughter’s toddler- hand.
The hands intertwined were a precious picture… two extreme ages, with the aged lending strength to stabilize the young.
The visual made me realize… aging is not what I expected.
Persevering Faith
The tiny pond needed fish and could provide the perfect habitat for Koi, those large multi-colored goldfish. Feeding them would provide such fun for the grandkids. The adventure began with four Koi fingerlings.
The Path Revealed
We were hiking through a mountain forest in Colorado and we came to a flowing stream. At first, we did not see a way across without getting our shoes completely wet. We thought we would have to turn back. I quickly prayed… asking Jesus for help. We looked at the rocks again, and now could see a path of rocks that stood above the water. The rock path seemed to suddenly appear and we used those rocks to cross to the other side.