On a scale of 1 to 10... how would you rate your week? Some weeks are really hard. If you rated your week closer to 1 on the scale would you still be able to say God is good? In the midst of the good and the bad I've been learning... Regardless of my circumstances, God is good. All the time. I want that for you. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. Psalm 13:5-6 NLT What a great verse to meditate on when you're in a difficult circumstance. It's especially good if you … [Read more...]
On this Memorial Day we remember. Bravery. Fear. Love. Hope. Selflessness. But, most of all we remember the ones who gave it all up for this thing we call Freedom. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 Thank you soldier. Thank you for your sacrifice. For your ultimate gift of love. And thank you dear one for the courage it took to give that last hug and kiss. Oh how blessed we are to have liberty in this time and in this place we call "the land of the free and the home of the … [Read more...]
While on Facebook, of all places, I was prodded to change my outlook. I read a phrase that stuck with me. Forget talking about your troubles. Talking about our troubles is a bad habit for most of us. It's what we do. So if we can't talk about our troubles...what do we do? Celebrate our joys! I have a good friend that I chat with irregularly via email. At this time in our lives it's the best form of communication. It's efficient. When we get the chance to talk on the phone....it's a looooong talk. And we usually don't have time to do that very often. Today I … [Read more...]
Have you ever thought about your aroma? Did you just tilt your nose down and take a whiff of your shirt? I'm not talking about your perfume, toilet water, or cologne. I'm not talking about whether you used deodorant after your shower, though that is probably a good idea. There's another kind of scent that I have in mind. We have a spiritual fragrance. It's the essence of who we are. You might know someone who has a wonderful essence. So lovely that you wish that you could wear that same fragrance. You also might know someone who has a less than wonderful essence. You probably find … [Read more...]
Does it seem crazy to think that we can have the same joy as Jesus? It does... but Jesus told us we will be as joyful as he is. Not could be. We will be. I have told you this so that you will be as joyful as I am, and your joy will be complete. ~ Jesus John 15:11 GW I don't know about you... but I really would like to live a life of joy. What do you think it would look like to live a life of joy? Maybe we should start with the definition... For one it might be to be happy all the time, singing, humming, wearing a smile continuously. For another it might be a … [Read more...]
This morning I was reading some writings of C.S. Lewis, when these words leaped off the page at me: It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through. He was talking about how we start our days. If we were meeting each other for coffee at Starbucks in the morning, I might ask you, "Did you have a good start to your day?" It's an innocuous question. Purely conversational. And of course, I would hope you had a great start. Because we're friends, you won't cloak your answer with the usual dismissive remark. Instead, you'll tell … [Read more...]
Grace. Daily Grace. I don't know about you... but I need an abundance of grace to get through the day. Good thing God's grace is constant and overflowing. What about my grace? Sometimes I am not all that gracious. It's hard to understand how we can be given so much and then turn around and be stingy with what we have. I'm not talking about stingy with stuff... I'm talking about stingy with grace. How are you in the patience department? Me? Not so good. In fact, my husband often points it out to me. In a good way which … [Read more...]
Today is a special day for An Extraordinary Day! To begin... let's go back a few years. After losing my job in 2009, I suddenly had more free time than I was accustomed to having. So as I was preparing to host a fall open house for my Longaberger business, I decided to go online and do a little exploring for fall decorating ideas. Spending time online was not new to me, quite the contrary. Usually I spent my time online researching things for children's ministry, or nutrition. Important stuff. [wink] I had never even thought about exploring the interwebs for home decor ideas. That bright fall day … [Read more...]
Lately, I've been thinking about joy. This morning I even prayed to have more joy. As I was doing so I realized that I am blessed with a beautiful life. Even if my current situation isn't what I hoped, planned, or even desired. For some time, things have not gone my way... but isn't that true for all of us? And so today... I'm going to concentrate on walking with God. Allowing him to direct my path. Being quiet and listening to him. Because when I do... There I experience joy. True joy. And contentment. You direct me on a path … [Read more...]
Today I sat down to write. I knew I needed to talk about perseverance. There were lots of thoughts running around my mind... but I was unsure where to start. So I did what every good writer does when in that spot.... I went out on an errand. When I returned home, I again got my laptop out to prepare this post. Before typing a word, I checked my email and saw an email which needed my immediate response. While there, I scanned the other items in my inbox and my eye was drawn to a weekend post which contained a touching video. I am aware this video made the rounds last year, so it … [Read more...]
This week has been a week of quiet, solitude, and reflection. Somewhere along the way, I lost my mojo. It's not that I hadn't spent significant time with God. I had. But, my soul was hungry for moments like this... Joy Moments. If you've been visiting with me over time, you know how much I enjoy my nature walks. Those times make my heart sing. And sing. And yesterday, as I walked along a country road and came across the music of peepers... my heart sang with great joy. Some time ago, our pastor shared how singing is God's heart language. If you're a frog … [Read more...]
"I just want my child to be happy." Have you said that? I think it might be the number one wish for many parents. We're all looking for happiness. We'll feel better or be happier... if we drop a few pounds. if I could get more traffic to the blog. if we would get the yard re-seeded this spring. if my kids would do better in _______. if I could get that merit raise. if my spouse would ________. These are some of the kinds of things that we think we need or at least want. Surely they will bring us happiness. I see you rolling your … [Read more...]
Put yourself in this story... The man whom you believed was going to liberate you from the tyranny of the Romans had just been cruelly tortured and hung on a tree to die. A few of your friends also truly believed that this man, Jesus, would rescue you. But instead, they are helping you take his dead body down from the cross to bury him in a borrowed tomb. All hope is lost. Not only was Jesus, your leader and friend, dead but surely this would turn to the worse considering all that transpired the last few days. You're consumed with hurt, grief, disappointment. To say you are devastated would … [Read more...]
The One who spoke this world we know into existence.... He humbled Himself, obedient to death— a merciless death on the cross! Philippians 2:8 The Voice ...for you...and me. This perfect One... took that which was ours....every ugly sin and wrong thing we have ever done. So we wouldn't have to experience the punishment we deserve. It's Friday.... Jesus' followers did not know, as they watched him die this cruel death on the cross at the hands of the Roman soldiers, that this was not the end. Sure...he told them they would see him … [Read more...]
How's your day? I'm hoping that today's been a good day, or at the worst, something we can call normal. Do you mind stopping a second to look back over the past several hours? We've had numerous blessings... A bed to sleep on, a bite to eat, dishes to wash, places to go, people to see... And so much more! Consider each a blessing. Give thanks for each one. We often take these common, everyday blessings for granted. Tomorrow, things might change and we may or may not have one or more of these blessings. When that happens... our worlds just might come undone. Or will … [Read more...]
In many ways, Palm Sunday is a festive day in the Christian church. Children will often march through worship services waving palm branches as the congregations sings, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. There's something wonderfully anticipatory about Palm Sunday because we know that in one week we'll celebrate Easter or Resurrection Sunday. This morning as I was reading the biblical account of this event, I noted this verse in Luke 19:38 Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! comes from Psalm 118:26. So of course, I had to read the whole chapter of … [Read more...]
A little over a week ago I went to a butterfly event at Meijer Gardens. Walking through an indoor tropical garden hoping to see a few fluttery creatures was the perfect way to spend an end-of-winter afternoon with a friend. Butterflies are beautiful creatures, but have you ever wondered what the purpose is to their existence? We know that they feed on the nectar of flowers and similar to bees they are helpful to the pollination process of the flowers. It isn't a pleasant thought, but as caterpillars, they provide food for creatures higher up on the food chain and to some degree as well … [Read more...]
