A Word of Encouragement…
" I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety..." (Ezekiel 34:26,27) "In this way, the will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign Lord. You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I,
The Gift of Rest
Every Friday, I have the day off. Right now, you are probably envisioning me with my feet propped up, and a People magazine in my hand. Nope. Maybe I should rephrase that. I have every Friday off because I cram in 40 hours of work Monday - Thursday. So, really, my day off is my grocery shopping day. Laundry day. Catch up on misc. projects day. Cooking day. Cleaning day. My run-errands-I-couldn’t-get-done-during-the-week day. In other words, my day off isn’t an off day at all. In fact, it feels like I am just as “on” that day as I am
Thriving, not Surviving
My husband and I have the privilege of celebrating our 18th anniversary today. As I reflect on the beginning of our journey together, I’m reminded of the moments of fun and laughter we have shared. Oh, how special those memories are to me. But such moments seemed to vanish into thin air when we entered a difficult season. With our younger two children being diagnosed with rare illnesses, joy seemed to have lost its place in our lives. Suddenly, we had gone into survival mode which became a new normal for quite some time. When I look back at pictures
Lean On Me
Earlier this week, my mom needed a medical procedure performed at a facility, but the water levels were rising in Houston. Hurricane Harvey was leaving devastation in its path. Although her home was dry, the streets were flooded to a point that made travel dangerous. She had no way to get there. The procedure needed to be done urgently. My brother called multiple phone numbers to find a way, but he was being routed to other agencies. We were running out of options, and time was of the essence. Friends and family were in prayer for a way to be made. Then,
Thank God for Sunshine
My friend from Houston texted me today. "The sun is out. Praise the Lord!!" Storms have a way of bringing life to a complete halt....but they also have a way of making us see hope in even the slightest ray of sunshine. In simple every day things we would normally take for granted. It's been almost a year since my family endured one of the biggest storms of our lives. Last September, my husband received a call from a care flight nurse. His parents were involved in a severe car accident. Mom and dad were in critical condition. Family and
Pray for Houston
“I guess all we can do is pray about it.” I’ve been guilty of saying that like it was the last option available with a “hope it works” kind of attitude behind it. It’s easy to fall into the thought that whatever God wants to happen will happen; so what is the point of praying? Even in His sovereignty, God still invites us to participate in what He is doing on the Earth. One of these ways is through prayer. We read about men like Abraham and Moses using prayer to intercede on behalf of others. God listened. Esther fasted
How We Can Help Hurricane Harvey Victims
The devastation Hurricane Harvey has caused in South Texas has been quite alarming. Seeing the photos of the damage and hearing from friends and family who have been displaced from their homes has left many of our hearts heavy. The reality is that when a natural disaster strikes, those of us who are not directly impacted may feel helpless and not know what to do. "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:18 NLT) As the hands and feet of Christ, we can assist these victims in several
Lessons from Jeremiah
This past month, we have been reading through Jeremiah. This is one of those books that I never really read very much; Other than the "For I know the plans I have for you..." section, I basically ignored this book. The readings consist of the prophet Jeremiah prophesying death and destruction to the Israelites because of their idolatry. He buys a linen belt and doesn't wash it. He warns them repeatedly. His life is threatened. He visits a potter who smashes a pot. He wears a yolk. More gloom and doom, death and destruction. He buys a field. Repeat gloom and doom message.
And then there was Leah
Have you ever felt unloved or rejected? You are not alone. Leah was all too familiar with that feeling. You see, Leah had a sister, Rachel who the Bible portrayed as beautiful and having a lovely figure. And then there was Leah. Leah is described as having "weak eyes". I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't soundlike a compliment. As we continue to read her story, we discover that her life was marked by a constant feeling of rejection and striving to be loved. It eventually came time for Leah to be married. Unfortunately, marriage didn't helpher insecurities,
Love Is Not Irritable
Last week, Binu wrote a great post about dealing with moody, angry and just plain foolish people. It’s something we can all relate to. But what if the tables are turned? What if we are THAT moody person? We may not have been thinking of ourselves as we read it but what if someone else was? It seems there are 2 things that usually happen when we get irritable. Option 1 - we can reign it in. We sense it coming, take a deep breath and proceed with caution. In this situation, we’ve kept calm and can carry on.
