Perfect & Complete
Of all things, I was in the MIDDLE of a prayer call when I clicked over and heard the news. “Mrs. Samuel, could you come and pick up Caleb, he is hurt.” Really God? I was on a prayer call and THIS is what happens. I’m ashamed to say, that was my one sided, real, raw conversation with God as I drove to the gym to pick up my son. I knew it was REALLY bad when I saw three very strong men carrying him out of the emergency exit. Oh boy. Here we go, this is going to be a journey.
Pressing Through Difficulties
When I was single, I spent time imagining what marriage would be like. Between owning a home and starting a family, I was excited by the very idea because it seemed easy and dreamy in my mind. What can I say? I was young and naive lol. Then, I said “I do” and discovered there were many moments that were not easy. During the times that my husband and I misunderstood each other, it felt easier to just sweep it under the rug. I mean, who wants to have a challenging conversation that requires time and energy? But we knew
Chipotle Shredded Beef
If you’re looking for a great recipe that can feed your family for a few days, I have a great one for you. This is a delicious chipotle shredded beef that I have made many times and it doesn’t disappoint. A special thanks to my friend Renee Thomas who graciously shared this recipe with me a few years ago. Chipotle Shredded Beef 2 ½ lb beef chuck roast, trimmed14 oz can diced tomatoes7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (use peppers only and remove seeds from chilis if you don't like it too spicy)4 oz can diced green chiles1
God is With Us
Sadly, these recent times seem to be inundated with illness, hospitalizations, and untimely death. I don’t know about you, but it can feel quite overwhelming. And if I’m honest, it can feel frightening. But I am reminded that “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. … There is no room in love for fear.” (1 John 4:18 MSG) This song “Surrounded” by UPPERROOM is one I have found to be quite encouraging in times that have been trying. I hope it improves your countenance
We Keep Praying
Two Sundays ago, I walked into church and thought to myself, ‘Where in the world do we go from here?’ While I had no doubt that our pastor was doing great and enjoying the glory of Heaven, my heart was still so heavy from our loss here on earth. So many questions filled my head. How do we move forward? How do we continue to pray? Where do we go from here? That Sunday, Pastor Ryan Leak took us to Acts chapter 12. It’s there I discovered, WE ARE NOT ALONE. We are not the first church to have endured
A Clear View
You may have heard me mention before how my family and I enjoy taking road trips. However, there is a downside. It doesn’t take long to travel on an interstate before noticing bugs splattered on the windshield and well, all over the exterior of the car. I know … gross. Having returned from such a drive, I noticed that my car was dirty. But I wasn’t able to have it cleaned immediately. So there it sat in my garage and the next time I drove, it seemed as if I just could not see clearly through my windshield. A few
Trusting When It Doesn’t Make Sense
The past month has been really hard. As a church family we prayed, fasted, and warred for the life of our Senior Pastor. We were certain he would come through and share his testimony of the goodness of God in the land of the living. But our prayers were not answered in the way that we had hoped. Our Pastor transitioned into eternity and we were left with lots of questions and so many tears. This past Sunday, Ryan Leak shared an encouraging message to our church on prayer. As you can imagine, it was a difficult message to deliver
A Different Approach
Last week, (on the morning of our 22nd anniversary), I had put on a dress only for my husband to suggest that I wear a different outfit. I thought it worked for the occasion. But I heard his thoughts and I decided to change. The irony is that when I saw the shirt he was wearing, I suggested he try a different color. (And I assure you I wasn’t saying it out of spite.) He was content with how it appeared but he heard my thoughts and also, changed. Here’s the thing: we understood the intent was to look our
Video: Can We Be Real?
https://youtu.be/0pfq4cKMr1U
Comfort from Job
The last several weeks have been really difficult for our family. We lost our pastor to Covid. In his time as our pastor, he had changed the atmosphere at our church. He had brought as back to the basics and challenged us to be better humans and better Christians. As a family, we fasted and prayed for his recovery. We stood in confident faith that God would heal him. We were in shock when we received the news that he had passed away. Complete disbelief. How could this happen? We stood united in faith that he would be healed. I
