Uphill Battle
I was sitting at my husband's desk, very pregnant with our first child, when the results of my exam glared at me from his computer. "Fail" I had taken a major exam that was critical for my career, and we had been waiting weeks for this moment. A "pass" meant I could move forward. A failing score meant my career was on hold for a while. This was not what we expected. My husband comforted me as my tears flowed. Time seemed to stand still. He stayed quiet as I asked and stated the obvious..."How?", "What are we going to
Devotional Book Update
One year of writing. 365 pages. Our book is in the final review stages and God willing, it will be published later this year. It is a one year women’s devotional that follows the chronological Bible reading plan. We believe that “...Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 MSG We are not theologians so our thoughts may be simple. Our prayer
What is Your Face Saying?
If you happened to catch the post I wrote last week, you may have seen that I included a photo of myself smiling big. That was quite a step outside of my comfort zone. You see, when I comb through old pictures, I am saddened by how I appear. Surprisingly, it’s not my hairdo or the outfits that upset me so much … although some of those do make me wonder what I was thinking. It was the countenance on my face that bothered me deeply. While I managed to smile in most pictures, it is evident that there was
Nevertheless
Luke 22:42 “Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” As the hour was approaching for Jesus to be betrayed and arrested, He sat in Gethsemane and agonized over what he was about to go through. Father, does it have to be this way? Do I really have to walk this road of suffering to fulfill your plan? But the Father was silent. And Jesus knew what He had to do. ”Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Do you find yourself on a similar road today? Are
Fixing Crowns
"Be the woman who fixes another woman's crown and doesn't tell the world that it was crooked" I ran across this quote several months ago. I loved it so much that I posted it on the wall in my closet where I can see it everyday. I love the thought that as children of God, we are entitled to walk in the authority of someone wearing a crown. I love the imagery of standing tall, holding my head up high, and maintaining the posture that it takes to wear a crown appropriately- knowing that I am not doing it on
2 Truths and a Lie
Have you played the game, “2 Truths and a Lie”? It’s one of those icebreaker, get-to-know-you-better kind of games. Each person states 3 things about themselves - 2 are true but 1 is a lie. Everyone else has to guess which one is the lie. If you know someone well, it’s usually a piece of cake. If you don’t, that’s when it gets complicated. This isn’t a 21st century idea. In fact, this has been happening since the beginning...the very beginning. When Eve was in the Garden, the enemy came with 2 truths and a lie too. Genesis 3 (ESV)
As Iron Sharpens Iron…
It’s like iron sharpening iron...on steroids. Here’s what the past twenty years of marriage have taught me. #1 I wasn’t as nice as I thought I was. If you have even an ounce of selfishness in you (and I had several ounces), marriage has a way of bringing it to the surface. God used marriage to refine me in areas of my life that I never knew needed refining. #2 I am a saver (and proud of it). But a few years into my marriage, God showed me that us savers can also be a little tight fisted (nice words
What a Wonderful Savior
As we remember this last week of Jesus’ life on earth, my heart is filled with gratitude for His life and resurrection. Oh, the wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb! About two years ago, I shared the blog post “Miracles and Memorials”, which is my story about how God was with me when I suffered from a mini-stroke. Unbeknownst to me, there was a hole in my heart which had not closed up after birth and allowed a blood clot to pass through on a stressful morning. I still think about how I was discharged from the emergency
Do Unto Others
Of all days… On this particular afternoon, I was in a hurry to get home from work. (Actually, that describes most days.) This time, I wasn’t feeling well so it intensified the feeling. I pulled out of the parking garage at work, only to see an 18 wheeler completely blocking the street. This truck was trying to back into a loading dock area. I’ve seen them do it before in just one try but this guy was having a tough time. He would go forward, then reverse back. Then, he’d do it again and end up on the curb. It
To God be the Glory
“The more, the merrier!” That’s a common phrase I use, whether I am talking about having people over or I am recruiting help for a major undertaking. Having mentioned the latter, I am reminded of the number of friends and family that helped us in our move from New York to Dallas. Between packing up boxes, loading furniture, and moving it to its correct location, it simply would not have worked in my mind if it was just my husband and me versus the many folks who were there with us. So reading Judges chapter 7 has really fascinated me
