Category Archives: Blog Posts

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. So many people have described the Christian walk as a series of mountains and valleys. Sometimes you are on a spiritual “high” and thus on a mountaintop or on a spiritual “low” in a valley. I think that there are sometimes flat areas as well, like a long highway that seems to stretch on forever. On a mountaintop, it is much easier to worship and feel close to God, but in a valley, it could be argued the same is also true because you are reduced to a raw and deeply penetrating hurt from which you need God’s help to survive. Maybe it is during these two times that God has shown you amazing Grace and Mercy. I know he has for me. … Continue reading →

How do you measure your worth? Is it in your possessions, your accomplishments, your job…maybe even in your church? Do you add up your volunteer hours or the good things your kids have done? Step back and reflect on His worth: … Continue reading →

Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in the earth, and [things] under the earth We are living in a time of great consternation. I’m not saying this to be profound–it is just true. Besides the non-ending coverage on the upcoming election, it’s hard not to notice all the turmoil in every nation in every state in every town, and in many homes. As Christians, we are called to love one another and love the Lord our God more than anything. Showing love is getting harder as the persecutions increase against us. I heard a pastor say one time the battles are great but the victory is already won. That is a great comfort to me to know that Jesus has already won the battle for us. I encourage you today to love freely and pray for other Christians and for our nation. With the news full of stories on the upcoming election, it’s evident that many people are frustrated with where our country is headed. Pray for God’s hand on this. … Continue reading →

My husband and I were married for several years and thought we were unable to have children. We had nearly given up on having a baby when we purchased a larger home instead, but we still prayed for a miracle to be able to have a family. When God answered our prayers and blessed us with a pregnancy, we became convicted that I should stay home to take care of our new daughter when she arrived. This seemed to be a crazy idea since my husband was a teacher with a meager salary at the time and my salary was very good. We were so convicted, though, that we sold our home and found a much smaller and cheaper home that needed a lot of work. I remember my mother-in-law actually crying when she saw it because it was in such bad shape. We bought the home and moved in and then began to tackle the endless painting and repairs that it needed. The yard was also in terrible shape and we spent countless hours on it as well. I remember the window panes inside the house were so dirty that they were dark gray and difficult to see through. Within a few weeks, we were able to scrub and sweat our way to the diamond that we always knew was underneath. We had a small amount of money in savings and my husband and I began to pray that it would last because we knew that even this house was going to challenge us. Our thought was that we would dip into savings only when necessary and try to make it last as long as we could. We hoped that we could make it until our daughter started school and I could then return to work. About three months after moving into our small home, my husband came home to tell me that something amazing had happened. He was offered a new job that would provide us free housing as well. The job was at a high school that he had attended. A job like this was not even on our radar as a possibility, since he was teaching at a college at the time. We were so excited that we immediately put the house on the market. To understand the next part of this story, you have to know this about me. I devoured any home magazine and TV show that I had time to read or watch and I yearned to have a home with curb appeal and every detail perfectly coordinated and planned. I spent hours working on these tasks in our first home and decided that a big house would be a perfect dream to work toward. When I found out we were going to get “free housing”, I envisioned a pretty little home on the campus with a nice yard for our daughter. I quickly found out that the “free housing” was not a house at all. Our house was an apartment in a dorm at the end of one of the halls on the third floor. When my husband told me the news, I am pretty sure that he thought I would be upset; but I was thrilled. I, the house queen, who yearned for the dream home in magazines was actually happy to move into a dorm. I am not sure how but God changed me immediately. Not slowly or steadily but He instantly changed my heart to understand the gift He was giving us. My priorities were now my family and that has never changed since that time. If this were the end of the story, it would be enough to pass along; but God wasn’t through yet. He had much more to show us. Not only did our house sell in two days, the lady that bought it had to rent it from us for a few months before completing the sale (more income for us) and the house sold for almost double what we had paid for it–even after the money we had spent to repair and fix it up. We eventually lived in several other places around the school campus and I was always in awe of how wonderful they all were when in reality they were nowhere near the dream home that I was sure would bring me incredible joy. God took a girl who had always put a lot of value in things and curb appeal to a woman who found joy and happiness in a place to live and raise her family. The transformation in my heart was amazing. The years we spent at this school allowed me the time to eventually have four daughters (another miracle story for another day) and stay home with them as well. If the story ended here, again, it would be amazing; but God was still not through. For several years, my husband’s career took us to other places without free housing and God was able to not only keep me home but increase our savings again and again. When we wrote out our budget, it made absolutely no sense that we could even make ends meet much less save money as well. So many times I felt like the woman in 1 Kings 17:16 with the oil and flour that was never exhausted. Several times we would need something and before we could even worry about it, someone would provide it or the item would simply last longer than it should have. We have never felt the love and devotion of our Father more than we did during those days. He sustained us and then as an added bonus, he gave us more. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! He is with you always (Mathew 28:20). … Continue reading →

I know we have all been there…we trust someone and they let us down. It is painful enough anytime; but for some reason, it hurts more if it is a fellow Christian. My family has gone through some very tough times over the last few months. Financially, emotionally, and physically we have been challenged and stretched until we have almost broken at times. With the comfort of leaning on God, we have made it. I have to tell you, though, the betrayal by fellow believers has worn me down. … Continue reading →

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. … Continue reading →

Are you mad today? Has something or someone made you upset? Maybe someone has wronged you in a horrible way. Even the world around us tells us that harboring anger leads to stress which causes us physical problems. Do you know how much energy it takes to be mad? … Continue reading →

For those of us who are Christians, the answer is fairly simple, as the Bible mentions angels numerous times. If you are not sure what you believe about angels, I hope you will at least give the new book a try. … Continue reading →

I was sitting with a few friends the other day and I made a remark that stuck in my own head for several days. Here is the setting: graduation of some of our children, discussions on aging parents, and so on. I jokingly stated: … Continue reading →

I just wrote an article that will be in a Christian magazine soon (more on that later). At the end of the article, I quoted a verse that has long been one of my favorites. Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. … Continue reading →