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“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way… things I had no words for.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe Sometimes we forget that God created beauty. At least we evangelicals who value utilitarianism above beauty and art do. We forget that God is the original artist. He paints on canvases…

“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much.”  Claudio, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare God does something special when His people come together as a congregation. When we sing, take communion, baptize people, listen to the preaching of God’s Word, His presence comes to us in a special…

Just a note…I have missed sharing this space with you all. So through prayer and planning, my goal is to post here twice a month. I hope you are blessed. Where Joy is Found You [the LORD] reveal the path of life to me;in your presence is abundant joy;at your right hand are eternal pleasures. Psalm…

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” Psalm 15:1 My heart echoes the cry of the psalmist. How do I get close to God? How do I develop a deep and abiding relationship? Can I move-in with God? What must I do so I can dwell with…

In case you didn't know, last week I spoke at The M.O.M. Initiative's Better Together Conference. Here are some pictures of the conference.   I flew on a plane to Jacksonville, Florida and met with 22 authors and speakers who shared break-out sessions and keynotes to several hundred women. It was a sweet time of…

A salesperson bounced toward me as I lifted my two-year-old into a navy-blue shopping cart. “She is so cute. Can I have her?” she teased as the blood drained from my face. I turned toward my precious girl, throat tightening, “No.” I shook my head. “Why not? You can just have more,” her words pierced…

Yesterday was the first day of the Lenten season. I did not grow up observing Lent, but as I began to read about this season the more I felt drawn to it. 46 days including Sundays and Maudy Thursday, Good Friday, and the day before Easter. Yes 46 days to focus on Christ…to begin in…

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” And grief it is natural to this sinful world. It oozes into the beautiful moments of life… When someone near us should be there, but isn't. When what is reminds us of a should have been. And the ache threatens…

I never imagined being here — in seminary, homeschooling, blogging, choir, and maybe more. I didn't really ask for this life…I just followed the path God laid before me and here I am… It doesn't make sense. I never would have started seminary if I knew I'd be homeschooling… Blogging and writing and speaking and…

Today we are to remember. Remember the price of freedom and those who died so we could be free. Today we remember freedom isn't free. It is hard fought. We think of the hundreds of thousands of souls who stood and died to protect our nation. Those who fought so we could be independent. Those…

Rain. It fell sporadically throughout the morning.   The clouds hid the rising sun and it fit.   This morning wasn't going to bring the hope of a new day. It was the day my fears would be confirmed. The day my doctor drew blood. The test would say what the home test told me…

Father God thank You for being Holy – completely different than me. I praise You for Your goodness and mercy. Thank You for grace unimaginable. Oh my God You are so patient with me. Thank You for making a wretch like me Your treasure. Thank You for Jesus who died so I could live. Forgive…

“Unstable snow,” my friend and expert snow-shoer hollered over her shoulder. I grinned as the snow sunk an inch under the weight of my next step. I began to take baby steps to prevent myself from doing the splits should the snow truly give-way. The snow glittered in the sunlight as a mountain in the…

Oh to be grounded in God.   On my knees. On what I allow my mind to dwell. In where I fix my eyes. In the paths I walk. As I die to me and live to Him. There is freedom. Freedom from doubt, condemnation, fear. And freedom feels wildly out of control. Yet God…

“I love you. You are my child,” I insisted. “But why? I am a pain,” my child asserted.   “You are young and it is my job to train you so you will love God and be a wise adult,” I replied. “Sometimes you say and do things that hurt my feelings. Sometimes I get…

“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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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…

“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 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….

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…

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…

Some days lay us low, stress us out, and there we stand as if naked – our sin and faults airing dirty. Our dreams of the picture perfect family and getting ready for school without drama shatter about us. Those days hang heavy as God gently but firmly chisels away the yuck to free us…

Tears stained my cheeks – crying was becoming a habit. One I didn't particularly enjoy, but perhaps God needed me here. My emotions raw over the hugeness of the dream only He could bring about. “I feel small,” I confessed to my friend. “When I talk about the dream, the goal God is laying on…

Today I have a post up at The M.O.M. Initiative and they are having two weeks of great give-aways. Check out the post Sibling Squabbles here. Yesterday I fasted from the time I woke up until 3 PM. I wonder if God uses fasting to show me how desperately sinful I am. I acted cranky,…

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 Faith, hope, and love I often wondered about these three. They all seemed so docile and personal. Depending on where I place my hope, faith and love these things could lead to selfishness and self-righteousness. This…

Last night I had about 50 or so youth from my church in my backyard. They swam and played a game called pickle ball. It was a lot of people and I noticed something about myself. When I am distracted by people and things, I don't pray. I turn off my brain and forget. I…

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. ” Psalm 84:1-2 My stomach made that crazy loud empty sound and I felt like I hadn't eaten in weeks. It had only been…

I did it. Finally. . . I finished memorizing the book of James. I thought it would take me about 6 months, instead it took over a year. . . SIGH. The good thing is I am now DONE! I am doing a happy dance. I plan on reciting James in a YouTube video in…

I look out my window, drops of dew mixed with last night's rain cling to its surface. The damp world reflects the morning sunlight causing colors to appear more vibrant. As if awakened by the cooler weather and rain birds fly, bugs swarm, and hummingbirds visit the feeder outside my window. The rain awakens life….

There are times when life weighs heavy and laughter is difficult to find. Times when: men open fire on a full movie theater… adults use and abuse children they are to protect… people ignore signs of abuse to protect their image… jobs are hard to find… the future seems dark and twisted… dear friends move…

Religion is tough – a list of rules and rituals we must follow to be pleasing to God. If we only do enough things right then maybe God will be pleased with us. Religion is grueling work and there is no way to measure if you have done enough to please God. A relationship is…

S’mores – that warm, gooey, chocolate-y, and graham cracker treat most often reserved for camp-outs – have come to my kitchen. About the beginning of June each year stores begin to sell marshmallows next to chocolate and graham crackers. I resist the urge for a few trips to the store, but it doesn’t last long….

Sometimes heads ache and stomachs go wonky. Some days your head spins with something other than thoughts. Some nights there are a random acts of sickness that don’t make it to the toilet and rob you of precious sleep in the middle of the night (as you change sheets). Perhaps a lizard may try to…

My four-year-old son wailed as we walked through Wal-Mart. “My…legs…HURT. CARRY ME mommy!” He flopped to the floor and dropped the bottle of cleanser I asked him to carry. One of my girls reached down and picked up his Soft Scrub. I stopped and turned to her. “No,” I told her. “He needs to carry…

Pondering Titus 2:11-14 today. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior,…

“Humph,” my L grunted as she took a breath while swimming. “Humph.” Her grunts came closer together the longer she swam. Neither her swimming instructor nor I could figure out why she grunted. The next time she did her freestyle down the length of the pool I watched her carefully. As she turned her head…

These moments are slipping away. I rocked my boy today because tomorrow he may not let me. I held my oldest child's hand because soon she will be too big. I picked up my middle girl because soon she will be too big. The moments slip, but each new moment holds something good, something different….

Today I will have about 22 people running around my house 11 kids (two are teenagers) and 11 adults. I may be crazy, but I am super excited to spend some time with my family. We will play, swim, talk, laugh, pray, eat, drink, and enjoy each other. We may even see some fireworks (if…

“You have something on your face right. . .there,” I pointed at my face in the approximate position my girl needed to wipe her face.   “No I don't,” she shook her head and stamped her foot.   Anger flashed in my eyes and my heart clenched. I took a quick breath.   “Father help…

“My LEGS HURT!” my boy wails and thrashes on the floor.   I raise my eyebrows as he looks at me.   “I. . .can't. . .walk.”   “You can walk,” I nod. “God gave two legs. You are healthy. Now go to your room.”   His temper rises and he screams angry at me….

“I miss the old Disney movies like The Lion King,” the clerk in the airport said. I smiled and thought, “He thinks the ‘The Lion King’ is old?! How old does he think I am?” That got me thinking about perspective. It colors how I view what is old and new. It helps me offer…

“Are you serious?” I asked the TSA agent incredulously. “My hands tested positive for explosives?” At 4:00 AM that morning my husband and I woke up. Fifteen minutes later we roused our three children (ages 9, 6, and 4). By 4:45 AM the five of us were on our way to the airport. We checked…

My first lesson about grace didn’t happen in church. At seven I opened the door of my heart to Jesus. I knew I sinned, I knew He died and rose again for me, but somehow I missed grace. I grew-up thinking the Christian faith logical. Anyone smart enough to look would discover God is God…

I can’t believe 30 days of training ourselves to pray continually is coming to an end. As I type, I am sitting in a prayer garden with sounds of chirping birds and running water from a water feature. A fitting place to commune with God in prayer. As I sit on this bench I picture…

Today is day 29 of my praying continually challenge. Whew, it has been a challenge. How did it go for you? Here are a few lessons I have learned about my prayer life. 1. My prayer life is not rich enough. I need to pray more throughout the day, but I also need to set…

As I type, tears are streaming down my face. Partially because I’ve been drinking Satan’s kool-aid. The kind labeled Inadequate and Never-Good-Enough. The other reason is I am blessed with praying friends. Tomorrow I will stand before nearly 400 kids and teach them about God. Over the last week I imbibed from the fountain of…

Yesterday I mentioned God calling me to training myself to pray continually. I have not made my index cards yet, but I have noticed when my mind starts to wander I catch myself and pray more. Consider joining me for this 30 days of praying. Exodus 34:14 says, “ —for you shall not worship any…

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School projects, pjs, hearty breakfast…and a time of rest!!! At least in this season. Praying your Saturday is a wonderful day of rest. What are you doing this Saturday?