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Tradition. That word chafes my heart. It seems restrictive and judgmental. Heroes of the faith broke tradition and brought revival. At times tradition feels like a pair of skinny jeans two sizes too small. If I can get them on they will restrict my movement, make it difficult to eat, maybe even breathe. But is…
Last week was a wild one. . . We didn’t have school on Monday and visited out-of-town friends for the day. We also bought my mother-in-law a great birthday present that I have yet to mail. . .Ahem. On Wednesday it snowed in the SOUTH! My guess is maybe three inches, but that is huge…
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12 The dictionary says content means a state of peaceful happiness. Paul…
“I thought fried meant crispy,” my partner in giving up fried foods for lent wrote in a text. Visions of chips, fried chicken, and french fries swirled through my head. My heart twisted inside me. I want to do this first Lent season right. I am giving up something for forty days so I can…
It is disorienting – this amazing grace wrapped in love. This God who is love and sent His Son to die for those who are not love. If my heart doesn’t want to burst happy and painful at this truth something must be wrong. Have I grown complacent? Happy to sit and watch, judge and…
I have always loved singing praises to God and songs, well, I can figure them out pretty quickly. So before I could read I would sing praises to Jesus with gusto. One Sunday morning I sat in a blue plastic chair next to my parents and siblings. The white tile floor of the community center…
“I will never. . .” “I don't understand why anyone would. . .” I have eaten more than my share of words. I think God enjoys it when I realize the irony. I wasn't going to marry a doctor or work with fifth and sixth graders or consider fertility treatments. I was also going…
I wrote the post from yesterday on Sunday. . . I titled it What if I Looked for God’s Glory in the Mundane? Yikes that is a LONG title. I wrote things I meant, things I long to do, like, “Oh to no longer see my circumstances as good or bad, but as part of God’s…
Every moment is pregnant with possibility, but most moments slip away the possibility missed. It happens when I focus on what isn't right, when an interruption annoys. The moment slips away I miss the opportunity to enjoy God, to thank Him for breath and life, for words lisped from little mouths that grow so fast….
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 Father God I need wisdom. I am a messy broken child who thinks too well of her intellect. Forgive me for relying on myself. Help me not…
Wives if you are like me you want to pray for your husband. I pray for my husband on a daily basis, but often don’t know what or how to pray for him. Kathi Lipp‘s new book Praying God’s Word for Your Husband is a practical tool to help us pray for our husbands. Her book…
Priorities. I like to quickly gloss over that word and believe I have all my priorities straight. I mean I am a wife and mother first. We eat dinner together around the table more days than not. I intentionally plan time with my husband, kids, and even my friends. I set aside time daily to…
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 The beeping of my alarm wakens me and I stumble to the bathroom. I flip the light switch and the light…
In case you get the wrong idea about me I want you to know somethings. 1. My kids are not always perfect. 2. I am not the perfect wife or mother. 3. My house is often a wreck and we pay someone else to clean it. 4. I love to cook, but I don’t like…
There are moments in life when the lights of my soul turn on again. I faintly hear the angels singing and life feels full of potential and opportunity even in the face of adversity. Those are the days I can’t wipe a silly grin from my face and my responsibilities seem manageable and I don’t…
I sat on the gray carpet in the middle of five four-year-olds and I listened. I listened to a story about a zebra possibly named Zippy while my little man leaned against me. A little girl leaned against me too as we learned about the Good Samaritan. I love God’s Word and the story gave…
Raw. Everything felt raw and open and bare. Battered and bruised I longed for peace. Everywhere lurked battles. Weary nothing seemed to soothe my soul. God’s Word even burned my weary soul and I wondered. How long can I do this? My soul aches. How long? I knew God heard and yet no peace came. I…
My plans to get ahead with blogging so I could enjoy my parents as they visited didn't really happen. So yesterday although I attempted to get a post out, I just didn't get it done. UGH! But I did enjoy getting to spend great time with my kiddos and parents. God has richly blessed me…
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 Father God, we – Your church – are messy and broken because we are sinful folks. Lord…
Today I have the honor of having a guest post over at my friend Amy’s blog. Her blog is Pieces of Amy and I love it. Check out my post titled Less is More. Along the same lines of Less is More is this post. When Small Things Really are Big But God chose the foolish…
Whether you agree with President Obama’s policies or not as our leader he deserves respect and needs our prayers. My heart has been heavy for the need of praying for our nation. I do not want to fail to pray for our nation and our leaders. Samuel – the prophet/priest – before he died said,…
“Let’s buy a puzzle and put it together,” my eyes shined as my heart ached to spend time with my husband. He raised his eyebrows and smiled, “You want to spend time with me?” I grinned and nodded. “Yes.” So we bought this puzzle. A cool free app for video animation? Straight up our alley….
Now may the God of patient endurance and of encouragement grant you ⌊to be in agreement⌋with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, to the glory of…
I have some exciting news today I am a guest on Lisa Shaw’s blog-talk radio show called The Whole Woman. I will be speaking about my part of The M.O.M. Initiative. You can listen to it live today at 10 AM CST or 11 AM EST or 8 AM PST. About twenty minutes after the…
I prayed for a word for 2013. God gave me one word. . . I struggle against waiting often. Sitting still seems wrong. I should be doing something. Anything. Yet God keeps bringing the word to my mind. First in the Psalm we are memorizing. Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he…
Father God thank You for the USA. Thank You for Your grace and mercy on our country. We are not perfect, we have made many mistakes and continue to make mistakes. Oh God I lift our government up to You. There is corruption and we are far from our founding principles. I cannot see a…
“She’s puking her toenails up,” Jimmy, the triage nurse barked into a phone. “I need a wheelchair to get her to a room.” My muscles cramped in pain. Dehydration will do that to you. Once in the room, I looked at the big white clock on the wall. 2 A.M. CNN blared reports of how…
I've been quiet lately. Not writing much, fighting a cold, and praying for direction. The kind of direction that could mean difficult decisions. What would God have me do? Right now He says wait, but waiting is difficult for me. Waiting means I can't plan. I like to see life stretching out before me, but…
Today I pray for you, our nation, and our world. And I have I post at the MOM initiative today…It's titled Cold Coffee…Click here to check it out. Father God be with each person reading this blog right now. Help them to know You are near. Fill them with your peace. Comfort them if they…
I ruined Christmas and it was only breakfast. I flung careless words that scraped and bruised. Defeat shone in my husband's eyes. I stained and marked a day that was supposed to be fun and joyous with anger and frustration. I asked my husband to forgive my careless words. He forgave, but the hurt lingered….
I met Christen at a conference called She Speaks in 2011. I reconnected with her another conference called Allume this past October. She has a heart to share God’s word with women and children. I know you will be blessed by her post. When the Wait Becomes Dwelling “One thing I ask of the…
My daughter’s eyes shined bright with anger and hurt. “You forgot mommy.” The truth burned into my heart. I did forget. I forgot and I missed something important. I was helping a friend but that didn’t matter. I messed up. My heart squeezed tight and the world around me tilted. Oh, sweet daughter, I want you…
Words. I write them, think them, and say them. It is what I do – what God created me to do. I feel God’s smile on me as I share the words He has given me. Yet over the last few days I haven’t had words to adequately express what is going on in my…
Today I have something different to share with you – an interview with Shannon Ethridge. She is a best-selling author and international speaker. Not only that, but she shares what she has learned about writing books and speaking with others seeking to honor God in the same way. This post is much longer than normal,…
Be joyful always 1 Thessalonians 5:16 The words left my mouth and I stopped cold. . . Then I felt God press this against my heart. Yes my child you can too. The words I said? “You can choose your attitude. You get to decide how you respond to life. . .You can choose joy.”…
My head pounded and all I wanted to do was lay down in a dark room for a few hours. Still it was 8:30 AM and I had to take my van for an oil change and repair a sensor. So I found the darkest place to sit in the car dealership {the kind with…
Lisa Johnson is a kindred spirit. From the moment we met at our speaking critique group at She Speaks we were cutting up and laughing like we had known each other for years. I love Lisa’s heart for God, her love of horses, and her desire to share her love with others. What Keeps Me…
Hello friends!!! Today I want to pray for you. . . That this Christmas season you will remember no matter your circumstances that God loves you and He cares for you. Father God please be with each person reading this blog post right now. Draw them near to You. Help them to remember this is…
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. . .” John 1:1,14 Every Christmas I spend time here – marveling at the mystery of the God-man Jesus. The creator and sustainer of the universe…
That is the title of my talk tonight for Rye Hill Baptist’s Ladies Christmas Dinner. Unexpected gifts. How all that God allows in our lives are gifts, we just have to see them through His eyes. I am so excited to share what God is laying on my heart with these ladies. Would you pray…
Yesterday I took the opportunity to sit in a Sunday School class with adults. I do not typically get that pleasure because I am normally hanging out with my posse of 5th and 6th graders. It was a bit surreal hanging out with grown-ups. I never had to say, “It is time to quiet down…
My sweet friend Shannon Milholland has written a post for you all today. I love her heart for Jesus and her desire to bring Him glory. I pray you enjoy her post as well. A Baby Changes Things She changed everything. This once SEC football enthusiast hasn’t seen a game in years. It…
I don’t know about you all, but lots of things have been going on around my place. Days that were supposed to be less busy get filled up quickly. So today I want to pray for us when we feel overwhelmed. Father God some days this world seems to attack us from all sides….
In case you haven’t noticed, my life has been a whirlwind lately. Not only am I busy, but friends are moving away – lots of them. Perhaps I need to reconsider my deodorant option. Yesterday was supposed to be a day I wrote. Supposed to be a day I worked on some talks. Supposed to…
A swirling black vortex of emotions spun around me. Tears stung my eyes as my mind rehearsed old hurts, and searched through newer ones. Life is good, I reminded myself. Why am I so down? In the grand scheme of things I am fine. So why this? A yawning pit of despair beckoned me to…
“Happy twelfth anniversary,” I smiled that goofy love-struck smile at my husband and kissed him. “Happy anniversary to you,” he smiled back. Our day had just begun and our plans were simple. Hang out with my brother and parents until we left to drive six-hours home. Not particularly romantic, but we planned a date later…
I am so excited to introduce you to my friend and M.O.M. Initative mom Cheri Gregory. Her post will challenge and encourage you. I can’t wait to see their smiles. I imagine the 3-year-old opening her gift and hugging it close. The 7-year-old holding hers up and twirling around with it. Their smiles are the…
I breathed in quickly and forcefully released the air. Frustration flashed across my selfish heart. I swallowed. “Let’s think about that later,” the edge in my voice was mostly gone. “I have a paper to write.” My daughter looked down, then silently nodded, and wandered away to play. I turned back to the bright computer…
The phone rang as my heart nearly stopped beating and thoughts swirled in my head. The timer was counting down from 50 minutes on part one of my final for seminary. Had I forgotten the service man was coming? Did I miscalculate how long it would take for him to get here? Or did I…
Today I have a great post by Julie Sanders (another M.O.M. teammate). I love this post and I am sure you will too. How to Get Your “Thank You” Back With sweaty hair matted on foreheads, they filed around party tables as bounce house staff appeared with birthday boxes of pizza. “Pizza, pizza!” the famished…
Hey friends. Sorry I bailed on our link-up last week. I ran out of time because I wasn’t planning my time well. UGH! But this week God has been working on me…Here is how. Some weeks it feels like everything scrapes and burns. God’s Word is the acid working at the deep-seated sin in my…
Father God we thank You for the USA. We thank you for the success and prosperity we have enjoyed. We thank You that You are sovereign over all the affairs of men. Father we are concerned about the financial situation facing our nation. Lord our staggering national debt is frightening. We pray our representatives and…
My mind swirls and doubts creep. Perhaps that is what I am supposed to do. . . This writing things is hard. I could do that job. I am capable. I just want to do what God wants me to do. . . Maybe. . . Maybe I was wrong. When God gifts you and…
I met Stephanie Shott three years ago at a conference while I felt left out and discouraged she encouraged me. Now we do ministry together through the ministry she founded The M.O.M. Initiative. I am blessed to know Stephanie and I know her words will bless you. LEFT OUT In my mind I’m able to…
Love Burns I feel the burning around my heart and I wonder. Is it always going to be like this? The more I love, the more I grieve. I enter into the pain of others, I sit on their grieving benches. The more I love, the more I give. And sometimes the gifts are rejected….
Father God, thank You for the privilege it is to live in a free country in which we have a right to vote for the leadership of our country. Lord may we always live in gratitude for the freedoms allowed under our constitution. Thank You for being Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and President…
Two hours? I thought to myself as I clicked on the first of five sections of my lecture for Systematic Theology. Two hours on election and God’s sovereign will. Fun. At the end of two hours there it was. . . the mighty conclusion. . . it is a mystery. Yes, God is sovereign and He causes…
Leah is a dear in real life friend of mine. She recently moved away. I still don’t like to think about that. She has such a sweet heart for God. I know you will be blessed by what God is teaching her through this presidential election. My Opinions & God’s Power As the final presidential…
I looked at my beautiful girl as she struggled with life. My heart ached because I could not make it easier, but the truth is the struggles make us strong. Perhaps that is why God blessed the God-wrestler Jacob. The struggle strengthened and refined Jacob. It isn’t the easy things in life we cherish anyway….
This week is flying by. I wish I had time to really tell you all things I am learning about forgiveness, but I just don’t…. However I wanted to tell you about the book that has me thinking. I went to a blogging conference last week (in case you didn’t know). The conference was called…
My heart clenches and my my throat feels tight. I recognize the seed of the feeling. It is a battle that rages around me often. The battle of pride. “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that…
I am so excited to introduce you to Dana Bailey. She is a fellow M.O.M. at the M.O.M. Initiative. I know you will be blessed by her words. God Perspective Colossians 3:17, And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through…
My phone rang at 4:00 AM yesterday morning. Groggily, I rolled over and answered it. An automated voice answered my weary “Hello?” “This is an important call from Delta. Your flight has been cancelled.” I already know this and took care of it last night in a 30 minute conversation that was utterly painful, my mind…
In my Systematic Theology class, yes I am in seminary online through Knox, we are studying the Trinity. At the word Trinity, my eyes typically glass over. My mind begins to wander because how could I ever understand something so outside of human experience? Yet I came into these lectures knowing a few things about…
Hello blog readers. I hope you are having a great week. I had a wonderful time this past weekend with Concord Baptist Church’s ladies retreat. I got home and about an hour later I coached some cheerleaders. On Sunday I helped my husband lead the large group for our fifth and sixth grade Sunday School…
Stories. They speak to us in ways nothing else can. There are four articles about the power of stories at Psychology Today. Interestingly they suggest that as we tell stories and those listeners understand what we are saying our brainwaves become nearly identical. Jesus knew the power of story. Most of His teaching was in…
I am so excited to share this post by my friend Elizabeth Elliot. I love her heart for God and her heart for others. She has the joy of the Lord and she shares it with others. I know you will be challenged and blessed by her post. Made for the Valley The woman stood…
Hello friends…Just wanted to tell you I am speaking at a ladies retreat for Concord Baptist Church in Van Buren this weekend. I am super excited about what God has laid on my hearts. I am praying for God to really show up and as tobyMac says “steal my show.” Would you join me in…
I have three children and still I grieve. I wonder if I am selfish. I wrestle with guilt because I should be happy God allowed three babies to stretch my belly and my heart. At times the pain of infertility washes over me. Grief over 22 babies in heaven never to be held here. Grief…
“Mommy, we named L's twin,” E's sweet voice and smile welcomed me as I walked into our kitchen. Tears stung my eyes and my heart moved to my throat. L joined in and we talked about names and babies I never held in my arms. The pain of those losses clung to me long after…
I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Heatherly. She has a great heart for God and for women in trouble around the world. She also knows what it means to fight the battle in your mind…I know you will be blessed by her post. The Battle Early in the morning and in…
Here is a prayer for us all when difficult days or things come. I am praying for you. Thanks for stopping by! Father God in heaven, There are days, weeks, months, even years when hard things string themselves together and it weighs us down.Our stomachs churn and muscles tense and we don’t even realize…
It is Wednesday again. Where did the week go? This week I have been chewing on the holiness of God again. Yes I can’t get away from how different He is than us. He doesn’t change (James 1:17b), His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), even the heavenly beings announce it (Isaiah 6:2-3). He…
My eyes grew wide. My heart felt like it beat in slow motion for a few seconds then sped up to 1,000 beats a minute. “No, I didn’t say that,” my words were daggers pointed at my husband. “I told you to see if they wanted to go on date on Saturday night. Not bring…
I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Rachel. Her blog is The Lazy Christian and she reminds us God does the work for us. I know this post will challenge and encourage you! God’s a hard worker. Yes, he made the universe and everything in it in seven days. But I’m not talking…
Hi friends. Today I have a post featured on The M.O.M. Initiative titled Let Dad be Dad. If you are a mom, check it out. Today I want to pray for you all as you wait. God often brings us into waiting times. If you are in a waiting time you may want to check…
Today I have a post on Encouragement Cafe about choosing joy. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.” John 4:22 Jesus says this to the Samaritan woman He met at the well. She asked Him about the differences between the Jewish way…
Hello bloggy friends. It is Memory Monday… We have been working on Psalm 121…How is it going? I hope well. This is our last week to do Psalm 121. Next week we will review Psalm 103, Philippians 2:3-8, and Psalm 121. Just to keep God’s Word in our hearts and heads. Then the following week…
I am so excited to have Lori Wildenberg share her heart with you today. She has dealt with infertility and I know you will be blessed by her post. See the Son By Lori Wildenberg “They just got a new house.” “Her husband surprised her with a trip for their anniversary.” “She just found…
Heavenly Father,thank You for who You are. Thank You for Your faithfulness, goodness, love, mercy, justice, and grace. Thank You for being all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, holy, holy, glorious, and majestic. Thank You for sending Jesus, Your precious Son to die in so that those who call on Your name will be saved. Thank You for…
Welcome to This Really Got Me Link-up! But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. Psalm 130:4 The words seemed to jump off the page in front of me. Fear and forgiveness the two words wrestled in my brain together. “Wow,” I said breathy. I turned towards my husband. “Have you heard this…
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:16 O that I would delight in God’s decrees as the psalmist did. When I delight in God’s Word, I do not neglect it. But we as His church, we neglect God’s Word. Sure we listen to it preached on Sunday and perhaps we…
Hello friends. I normally don’t post on Saturday, but I have been tinkering with my blog and I wanted to make sure all is working well. So first thing I want to tell you all is that you bless me. I am so humbled that you stop by my little corner of cyber space. Thank…
I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Laura. I get to see her at least once a week in real life at church. I love how her mind works and how honest she is as she writes. I know you will be blessed by her post. When Angela first approached me about…
Today I am at The M.O.M. Initiative with a post about how scheduling can save your sanity (as a parent). No real post today. Tomorrow I have a great guest post for you all. Today, I just wanted you to know I am praying for you. Father God be with each and every man…
What is missing? It is a great question to ponder in our own lives, in the lives of our churches. Why is my worship so flat? Why does Bible Study not interest me? Why can’t I get fifth and sixth graders to sing praises to God? Why do I feel so hopeless? What is missing?…
I found myself and my three kids in a very smelly bathroom that only had two stalls. (It is ok you can go ahead and snicker. . . I know you are laughing at me) When we first walked in the bathroom E dashed into the first stall and L tried to take the second….
It is Memory Monday. . . “Do you know why I want you to memorize Scripture?” I asked the fifth and sixth grade girls in my small group. I looked at each of their faces. “I don’t want you to memorize Scripture because it makes God happy or for just knowledge. I want you to…
I am excited to introduce you to fellow M.O.M. Initiative writer Lynn Mosher. I know her post will both encourage and challenge you. Pity Party, Anyone? When I first began a monthly column for another site, I wanted the Lord to use each column to speak to the hearts of others, but I had no…
God some days my sinful heart can’t see past my circumstances. There seems to be a hole in my heart. Disappointments tear, frustrations rip, emotions sear. Tension mounts and all I see is me. . . This stumbling fumbling woman who can’t get herself together. Desperately I flail at those around me. If only I…
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” “Mommy and daddy?” my nine-year-old E said. “You fight?” She turn shocked eyes on my husband and I. We were disagreeing over who should…
Today is the day we remember. . . Towers falling, planes crashing, people jumping, heroes made and lost. We remember the thousands of lives lost. . . each one had a life song. . . Images of chaos, blood, smoke, dust, and ash fill our minds. Reminders. But do we really remember? Do we walk…
Last week was a full week – full of travel, fun, activity, seminary, a pep rally, a football game, and a sinus infection. As the sun peeked over the horizon I slung myself out of bed and went about getting kids ready for school. My mental to-do list added weights to my shoulders and tied…
I am so glad my friend Amy is over here today posting. Amy is a real woman, who loves Jesus, and shares her journey through life in an open and often humorous way. I know you will be blessed and challenged by her post today. AND over at her blog she is having a link-up…
Today I am at The M.O.M. Initiative. I wrote about how to date your spouse. Click on over and see what I learned. Let me tell you about my day yesterday. I cleared my throat, but it didn’t matter my words came out cracked and strained. For brief periods I sounded like myself. Only to…
Welcome to This Really Got me Wednesday. . . Today is the day we share things that God has used to motivate us, wow, us or change us. . . At the bottom of this post is the link-up party stuff. So join me and check out what God is using in other bloggers lives…
The trail curved, tall maple trees loomed on either side as the sun filtered green through the canopy of leaves. There wasn't much noise – no cars, voices, or hums from appliances. My husband and I walked hand-in-hand. “Can you hear it?” I broke our silence. My husband knitted his brow, then a flash of…
Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you are having a GREAT weekend. Last week I had one of “those” days. The kind where you can't get the motion activated water in public restrooms to work, the soap sprays everywhere, a delayed flight, what was supposed to be a one hour lay-over turned into a…
I have been praying for direction for this here blog. My purpose for this blog as not changed, you can read and see a video on this purpose here. However I want to be more intentional in my writing and in how I can encourage and bless you all. Here is what you can expect:…
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