God Sees What You Do
As a kid, I remember showing up to church early. In fact, sometimes we were the first ones there. My parents weren’t the pastors. I don’t really remember if they even had a title at that point. So, why did they show up early? To set up the chairs. Our little church was renting a space from another larger church. During the week, this room was used for other events, so it was up to us to set up the room for our Sunday service. It wasn’t a glamorous role. There wasn’t a line of people just waiting for their
A Shift from Fear to Peace
It’s hard to believe that just a week ago, I was watching snow fall while my home was experiencing rolling power outages. Having grown up in New York, I was familiar with the snow. But it took me by great surprise to see the entire state affected by lack of power and/or water. I thought I was prepared by stocking up on groceries. However, I quickly realized that I was not prepared to whip up meals with limited power. So every time our power returned, every family member could be seen making a mad dash to fix a meal in
Exceedingly
A blanket of snow in Texas is a rare sight, so these past few days have been filled with moments of wonder....and discouragement. Among the thrills of soft white powder falling from our gloves and the squeals of young children came frozen pipes and electrical shortages. Not exactly the winter wonderland we were expecting. Yet, we keep trusting. Believing. Knowing. That as we experience these chilly, dark nights, God will do exceedingly, abundantly more than we ask. God will walk us through the dark, just as he did for Daniel among the lions in the dark den. God has never
Going the Long Way
I am waiting on a miracle. I have been waiting for a long time- more than a decade. I won't go into the details; ultimately, it's not my story to tell. When this story started, my faith was strong that this struggle would be brief. I was hopeful, praying and fasting fervently. I asked God what I needed to learn, and God taught me several lessons along the way. Things even seemed to get better, but only for a brief time. My faith began to waver and then was completely lost. The struggle continues years later, and my faith remains
Let Your Light Shine
“Everyone whose heart was moved and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its services, and for the holy garments.” Exodus 35:21 “He has filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft ... He has filled them with skill...” Exodus 35:31,35 As believers, we need to be sensitive to that still, small voice AND also recognize the skills God has placed in us. This is how the work of the kingdom gets done! Each of us doing
Sneak It In…
I think I was 8. My sister and I were about to play outside when my mom warned us, “Billy Graham will be on at 7pm.” Ugh...I knew what that meant. We can’t stay out too long. We’ll need to finish our homework, shower and eat dinner early...because at 7pm, WE were watching the nationally televised Billy Graham Crusade, whether we liked it or not. “It’s so boring. We’re just kids,” I would complain. But my complaining never worked. At 7pm, the TV was on. I maintained my ‘I’m bored’ outward composure, but about ten minutes into the sermon, Billy
It’s Worth It
Do you ever wonder if what you’re doing is worth the effort? I mean, there can be so many ups and downs when you set out to accomplish a goal that it can just become exhausting and maybe, discouraging. I was reminded how several years ago, our oldest daughter attended a camp where she was introduced to the fine details of photography. From that experience, she was recommended as a volunteer photographer at our church campus. Faithfully, our daughter could be seen zipping up, down, and all-around during services as she clicked away. There was much to learn and develop.
The Kayak
Kayak is a palindrome. Just thought I'd share that fun fact. A few weeks ago, I went kayaking with my adventurous sister on a quiet lake. The water was calm, the dark clouds above us were slowly giving way to peaceful ones, and we had this part of the lake to ourselves for a short while. This was my first time out on a kayak, which is a small narrow watercraft that looks like a canoe. Steering is made possible by a double- bladed paddle. To move forward, you immerse one blade into the water on one side of the
Cajun Shrimp & Rice
I started 2021 off with some SMART goals. A few weeks ago I wrote a post about making goals that were Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Sensitive. 1 I wrote out 7 goals for the year and had specific action plans and dates associated with each of them. So far, one month in, I have to say I’ve been able to stay on track more than I have in the past (for the most part). One of my goals was to cook at home more. This is an area that I have really struggled with over the years. So
It’s Okay to Cry
Just thought I’d begin by warning you that I’m about to be raw and honest with you, Friend. Last week was a tough one for me. It began with utter surprise by what I heard. In the first moment I had alone, I began to shed tears. It just became an ugly cry with loud pangs of sadness. Ultimately, I spent the day in a fog and just checked out. By the next day, I felt anger overtake me. I was struggling with frustration and ready to chew out anyone who dared to ask me a question of any form.
