Don’t Ignore the Warning Signs

I have made a mess and I don’t know what to do. When I am lost I like to get out in nature away from everything and everyone and spend time alone with the Lord. On Saturday I decided to take a drive north to try to find some snow. I was sure I knew […]

The Court or the Diamond

I am on the road, and even though each week I try to find a church to attend in the town I’m in, there is still a desire to be connected to my home church. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to open the website and listen to the sermon from wherever […]

They Say Change Comes in Waves

The beach in the off season is not very crowded, or at least it wasn’t today which gave me opportunity to walk, and think, and appreciate, and pray. At one point I found myself calf deep in the surf as wave after wave splashed to shore. There is peace in the lapping of the waves […]

When the Road Gets Rough

It is not always easy to turn this rig around and sometimes I just have to keep on going until I find a place that I can safely exit the highway and turn my motorhome back the way it is supposed to go.  Yesterday as I was driving through a small town in NC I […]

We really are all the same

Giiiiirrrrrl! Yep, I am in the south. The weather is warmer and so are the people. It is interesting how differently people present themselves depending on the area of the country in which they live. Anyone who has traveled knows this to be true. As a general rule, the south is friendly, the northeast is […]

Go Ye Therefore

This weekend, a group of men and women will be taking the time during one of their meetings to honor my father for his part in building and growing the ministry, but more so for his part in helping to grow the kingdom of God. When we received the invitation to attend this service, it […]

But Still You Will Grow

“Your life will shake in the process of maturing into the person God intends.” Peter Scazzero Remember when you were still a child and every once in a while, you would find yourself doubled over in pain, or feeling discomfort within your body that had no visible source? I do. I remember well the day […]

The Little Island of Crete

Last night was the last softball game of the season and though we played well, we did not make the win; thus ending our presence in the playoffs. But boy did we have fun this season! We had a great group of men and women on the team and throughout each and every game there […]

Around the next curve

Last fall my sister and brother in law introduced me to something new. Mountain biking, I had heard the stories and seen the resulting injuries of those who, as adults have taken up this sport; so I was a little uncertain as we mounted the bikes for that first ride. It was short lived, not […]

To Be Like Her

I think I was about thirteen, but I remember it well. I stood leaning on the laundry room door watching as my mom was working with my sister on an art project. It was looking really good. They were working together on a painting of the spaceship Challenger, capturing the image of takeoff perfectly. It […]

A Reflection of Christ

We all do it, to some degree or another, at some time or another, we all take a message we have been given and try to manage it instead of just receive it. When we were kids we spent one month each summer camping. Oh what fun we always had. The memories of spending time […]

What are you doing with it?

How are you preparing for Memorial Day weekend? Are you packing your bags for a much anticipated trip? Are you preparing yourself for a family reunion that you are either excited about or dreading? Or is it just another weekend with an extra day off for everyone but you? Most of us don’t feel the […]

A Fruitful Life

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Have you ever joyfully picked up an apple, shined it, looked it over to find the perfect starting point and the moment you chomped down been greeted by a foul and rotten taste? The apple looked so good from the outside, deep red shiny perfect […]

Freedom in Forgiveness

It is almost yard sale season, the time of year when I can get rid of things I no longer need or want and then go buy someone else’s things they no longer need or want. Actually, I enjoy having yard sales, it isn’t really about getting money – though that is a bonus. But […]

Don’t Stop There

Have you ever been to the Rocky Mountains? The drive from the east is not all that exciting, in fact at times it feels endless. The trek across the boring brown featureless landscape that is Kansas is a sure opportunity to fight road hypnosis for hours on end. But then all of a sudden you […]

Blessed Assurance

I am sure we have all seen the ads for the buyer assurance protection plans, we all pay insurance on our vehicles and belongings (at least I hope we do), and we likely look for the warranty or some guarantee that what we invest in will be protected. It is pretty sad when you stop […]

The Foundation of your Past

Everything changes, that is the beautiful thing about life. Though not every change is beautiful, every change is important for growth. This weekend my sisters and are spending some time in Lynchburg, VA, a place we all went to college. It is neat to be here but so much has changed! There are shopping centers […]

A Moment to Heal

Today is Valentine’s Day. A day filled with love and romance for those who are involved with a special someone. It is sweet to see all the smiling faces, the flowers, and the boxes of chocolate. It makes my heart happy. Those of you who know me know that I don’t really believe in dating, […]

I Might Need it Someday

Over the years I have acquired a lot of stuff. I’d like to say I know how I got it all but there are some things that, as I am going through closets and cupboards I can’t figure out how it came to be in my possession. In many cases I don’t even know what […]

My Heart’s Desire

Psalm 37:4 is one of those verses that you find on coffee mugs, keychains, cell phone covers, pillows, you name it and you can likely find it. It is a verse used as encouragement to the hurting, and to give hope in moments when a person is feeling hopeless. “Delight yourselves in the Lord and […]

It is a Temporary Home

When I moved into this house I knew it was a temporary home, I knew that I would not retire in this house and now it is time to pack up my belongings and move on. I have lived in this temporary home for thirteen years. As I begin to pack up the things in […]

A Healing Anger

I am one of those people to whom dates have significance. Even in my subconscious mind I recognize upcoming momentous days and without intention begin to feel the weight or excitement of those days in advance. This morning I am sitting in my room missing my dad. I need his wisdom, I need his encouragement, […]

What is Your Earthly Destination?

I enjoy road trips. They can be exciting experiences in themselves, with stops along the way and opportunities to find adventure or view unique sights only found in the town or state that you are passing through. The best road trips are those that are not on a set schedule, where each day is a […]

Happy New Year!

2017 was both incredible and extremely difficult. As I sit and reflect these last few hours I have to stop and smile, because through all the experiences of the past 12 months, I know that God has used and is using each and every one of them as preparation for what is to come next […]

We Have A Direct Connection

Do you remember when telephones were connected to a wall? Do you remember even further back to party lines and switchboards? We have come a long way with our ability to communicate with each other, between telephones, email, text messages, cell phones, even video phones there are multiple ways to connect with those we want […]

I’m Tired of Being Ordinary

I had a pretty good childhood. Full of adventure, love, acceptance, and instruction in the Lord. My dad was a pastor and we moved a lot. I think this is why we all, (my brothers and sisters and I) are pretty close as adults. We relied on each other for friendships with each move, until […]

How Is This Going To Help?

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of the things we do not see. I come from a large family, there are six of us kids. All born within seven years and eleven days of each other. I remember asking my mom one day if they did […]

The Johnny Jumper Got Stuck

Do you remember the Johnny Jumpers? Those cool little bouncy seats that you attach to a door frame for your baby to bounce it. Boy did I love our Johnny Jumper. Each of my children loved the freedom they found with each jump as they kicked their little legs and soared up a solid two […]

To Who do you Trust Your Life?

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8 I have read this verse over and over this morning hoping that something profound and meaningful would come into my head […]

The Reality of My Right Now

It is interesting how God opens up understanding of Scripture the more we read it. Today I began reading Matthew, I am quite certain I have read this many times in the past but today I received a very different message than I ever have before. Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt as […]

The Bags Were Too Heavy

When I was in my early teens our family moved to a little town on Vancouver Island, it was a peaceful, beautiful little town with the ocean on one side and a stunning forest on the other. Back then there was not a whole lot going on around us. We had tourists in the summer […]

God’s Healing Grace

The purpose of this site is to talk about healing and hope. As I have gone back through the posts from the past, I found myself removing a large number of my earlier laments because, rather than bring encouragement even now reading them brought discouragement. I am no longer in that place of emotional distress […]

The Renewal in Waiting

What does it mean to wait? Why is it so easy to wait on some things but so painfully difficult to wait on others? I confess, I am not the best at waiting. I put on a good face and pretend to be, but inside I can become anxious and impatient for things to happen. […]

The Heart is not a DIY

It’s not that I don’t like doctors, or even that I don’t like going to doctors. What I don’t like is that it seems that often, by the time I finally get an appointment and go, I am feeling better. So in the end I just spent $50 so sit in a small windowless room […]

Letting Go of the Controls

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. […]

The Chaos in my Plan

When I was around eight or nine I sat down and made my life plan. I was going to get married, have six children, five boys and one girl and give birth to my first child before I was 22. I was going to have a happy life filled with adventure, laughter, love, and perfection. […]

That is a Lot to Give

Have you ever given your time to something, or for something that you believed in? Perhaps you volunteered to serve at a soup kitchen or for a political candidate? Or maybe something that you care about and felt excited to be a part of? Have you ever given your time for something that you didn’t […]

The Weight of the Burden

Camping is something I truly enjoy. Unfortunately, it is not something I often have opportunity to do right now, but I do hope as life settles a little that will change. My favorite camping trip was with a group of friends in Virginia. We all loaded up our backpacks with as much as we could […]

What is Righteousness

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17 This was the verse of the day that popped up on my phone this morning. I think I read it seventeen times before I looked it up in another translation. I can’t exactly put my finger […]

Life In Six Words

My soul doth magnify the Lord. Luke 1:46 Six words filled with purpose. It has always baffled me a little how easy it was for Mary to accept the words of the angel of the Lord when he came to her and told her she would carry the Messiah. God had a purpose for her […]

Something to Cry About

Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about. I have three children and I am sure I said this this to them more often than I remember. I never really thought about what this statement communicated or what this could do to the idea of being safe to speak about feelings and sadness. […]

I Prefer to be Safe

As I am continuing the study involving self reflection, the next question asks – What do you prefer? This is a tough one. I mean there are a lot of things I prefer that don’t impact my day to day – or life in general. Recognizing that I had to dig a little deeper I […]

What Do You Value?

Once again I find myself in a study that asks tough questions. Questions that involve real thought and reflection. I am working through these questions and want to share them with you. The first question I have pondered is What do I value? I value family and relationships. I value experiences and adventure. I value […]

Will You Jump?

Jenni stood at the edge of the cliff looking down into the water at her dad and uncle who were both waiting patiently for her to jump. But she was frozen. Try as she might she could not force her body to take that leap of faith and fall to the water below.  I think […]

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

At fifteen years old my daughter wanted a cell phone more than anything. All her friends had one, her older sister had one, it seemed to her that everyone but her had a cell phone. So she began hinting around about what kind of device she would like if she were to get one. After […]

Stay on the Path

I was so excited, it had been over a month since I had really been home and seen my friends. All week we looked forward to a relaxing evening out in the country away from the noise and chaos of the city, and then it rained. This has been a wet summer so far so […]

You Are Not Broken Beyond Repair

Have you ever been truly broken. I mean – down on the ground shattered in a thousand pieces, without the strength to even lift your head up to look for help – broken? Have you ever searched in vain for a tiny piece of your world that may have survived? Have you ever found yourself […]

The Promise in Growth

“Your life will shake in the process of maturing into the person God intends.” Peter Scazzero Remember when you were still a child and every once in a while you would find yourself doubled over in pain, or feeling discomfort within your body that had no visible source? I do. I remember well the day […]

Kindness in the Sternness

My dad was, in some people’s opinion, pretty strict. He had expectations of us that at times seemed pretty high. They really weren’t unreasonable, but they were higher than some of my friends’ parents expectations of them. As is the case with most families, we also had a number of rules. Some rules you just […]

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

God has created us with a depth that we just can’t even fathom. Last night I had the opportunity to observe a horse Therapy Program with some children. What a beautiful experience. The session included two groups of children, each group with different levels of struggle. Both were interesting to observe but the second group […]

Who Are You Trying to Impress

Today I randomly jumped back into a book I have not picked up in a few weeks and opened to a page that was exactly what I needed to read. The section is on living faithful to your true self. If you have been following these writings you will know that the past twelve years […]

We Want Freedom

It is Independence Day in the United States, the anniversary of the day in 1776 when The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. We had declared our freedom from the oppressive governing powers of Great Britain. On that day in 1776 America cried out – “We want Freedom!” When I look around […]

Are You Listening

Active listening is not a strength for many people. In fact, the skill of listening is often completely lacking. I think it’s fun to sit in the restaurant and watch the people around me interact with one another during the meal. There’s always that one table with the couple sitting staring off, each lost in […]

The Big Picture

It is naive to believe that the person the Lord has for you will bring with them a relationship without conflict. Conflict is part of life, in all areas of life, including relationships. A certain amount of conflict in a relationship is not a bad thing, in fact when conflict is handled appropriately it can […]

A Beautiful Evening

A group of friends, delicious food, a gorgeous sunset, a bonfire and fireworks. That is how this day ended. Sitting around a firepit, out in the country, enjoying God’s beautiful creation and growing together as a group. As I sat in the darkness looking at the faces glowing in the flickering light of the fire […]

Authenticity and Honesty

Have you ever really thought about what authenticity means? Webster’s Dictionary defines authentic as “being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character, with no pretension.” In a world of political correct perfection, this is a tough feat. Being authentic means being vulnerable and risking that what you have to say, or who you are […]

A Direct Connection to Him

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.” For most of my life I couldn’t quite grasp the concept of ‘pray without ceasing’, until recently. I’m pretty sure I always had a realistic and healthy prayer life; in that I understand that prayer is not about getting what I want or telling God about my plans. Oh sure, I […]

Frustration Brings a Challenge

Frustration can be overwhelming and is often difficult to communicate to those who may be trying to help. Today I saw a young man, probably 18 years old, sitting in a wheelchair. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury and was unable to take care of himself. The doctors had told the family that he […]

Perseverance Brings Success

I remember back in 1988 when we had the Olympic games in Calgary. The fun all started with the running of the torch and the Olympic flame came right through our town. Right past our house. We, like most of the town lined up with our candles as the runner came trotting down the road […]

The Ocean Beyond

Did you know that mangrove trees only grow to a certain height and then they just stop growing? I am not sure if I knew that before or not, but today I am sitting on a deck overlooking a mangrove patch, and it is beautiful to see the naturally manicured tops flat in front of […]

She Fainted

Our sinful nature causes a constant battle within us, lean on the Lord and He will free you to persevere to the end. Our sinful nature causes a constant battle within us, lean on the Lord and He will free you to persevere to the end. My first concert was Duran Duran. It was not […]

We All Fall Under Grace

If you are one who has been following these writings for a while you will remember that I spent a great deal of time in a dark place of discouragement and fear. Most of my adult life I was in a relationship where my safety was dependent upon my performance, so I lived my life […]

Earthly Stuff

A couple of times over the past few days I have read, participated in, or overheard conversations about earthly stuff and how it can be a hindrance to spiritual fulfillment. I grew up in a large family and all my life I thought we were rich. We had everything we needed, I can’t remember feeling […]

Skewed Perceptions

I wonder what the perception of love was in the days before television. I wonder how much more fully people understood what it is to love and be loved. I wonder how we have gotten so far off track. When we read scripture and reflect on love, what love really is, what is intended to […]

Active Selfless Sacrificial

Today I am feeling a little bit disconnected and off balance. I guess these moments are to be expected from time to time. I guess this is a good opportunity to rest in the comfort of God’s love. Even when I feel unsteady I know that I have stability in his love and his promises. […]

The Best Verse

Have you ever written a poem? I am not very good at poetry but I do like to write from time to time. Sometimes the poem starts out strong and it flows and sounds beautiful, but then I hit a wall and can’t find the words to continue my rhyme. Sometimes the idea is there […]

Worship at His Feet

The thing about worship today is that it has become a ‘song time’ during church. This is not what God intended, and this is not the true meaning of worship. In this day and age we have adopted the idea of corporate worship that is led by worship leader at the beginning of each church service. […]

Perfect Love

Today I started a new devotional, this is a devotional that my future husband and I are doing together. It’s well put together in that, it gives us each five days of personal growth in the Lord with a sixth day to come together and discuss the studies of the past week. This week we […]

A Peace I’ve Longed For

This morning as I was reading my devotional I came across a section that is talking about expectations. As I was reading I was certain that that was what my topic would be today, I felt like God was speaking to me as I read that chapter. But as I sat down to begin typing […]

Eternity in my Heart

God placed Eternity in our hearts. Remember the movie the Highlander? I think it came out in the 1980’s it was about people who had the (mis)fortune of living forever. They could face illness, attack, disaster, whatever came their way, but as long as their head remained attached to their bodies they would live forever. […]

In His Image

I was made in the image of God.  And so was every other human being on the earth. I think sometimes we forget, or maybe we just don’t think about the reality that God didn’t single us out from everyone else and make only us in His image. He carefully created each and every person […]

The Strength in a Solid Foundation

I was at a wedding last weekend, it was a  beautiful joining of two young lives. As we sat in the crowd witnessing the vows and listening to the pastor I couldn’t help but let my mind wander a little bit as I heard the familiar passage from Matthew 19:5-6 For this reason, a man […]

The Red Plate of Tradition

Goodbye May. May was a weird month. Actually, this whole year has been a unique year and I for one am happy that we are in the sixth month already. I remember when I was young  and spent the first five months of the year waiting anxiously for June to arrive. Not just because June meant […]

It Really is All About the Journey

Traveling mercies. I remember the first time I heard that term and wondered about it. We were preparing for a long trip to visit family over Christmas, and we had some folks over for dinner the night before we left. Before we began our meal, the man prayed and asked for travelling mercies for us. […]

The Calm in the Quiet

Slow down! People say that all the time, and frankly it isn’t always possible. Or it seems that way, we are so overwhelmed with responsibilities, work, living, surviving, that even taking an hour to stop and recharge seems to send a ripple that affects everything on the “to do” list.  Stopping seems to rarely be […]

God’s View is Much Better

In all situations we can trust that God has the higher vision, He knows where we are going and what steps we will take to get there. He knows where we will succeed, and He knows where we will stumble. His understanding is much deeper than we can ever fathom and His transformative purpose is […]

Are you Content?

What is contentment? What does it mean to you? In this media heavy – keeping up with the Jones’ society we live in it is hard to find someone who is a true example of contentment. For the purpose of this post I googled the word contentment and came up with all sorts of definitions […]

Can You Hear Me Now?

Do you remember when telephones were connected to a wall? Do you remember even further back to party lines and switchboards? We have come a long way with our ability to communicate with each other, between telephones, email, text messages, cell phones, even video phones there are multiple ways to connect with those we want […]

Do You Know What He Expects?

I haven’t written in a few days. I have tried, I’ve sat down and put my fingers on the keyboard and willed them to move, but nothing happened.  It isn’t that I haven’t had anything to write about, God has continued to do a good work in me and has continued to work on my […]

Perfect Love

Love. We think we know what love is because everywhere we look we are bombarded with the world’s version of love. A love that is unrealistic and often selfish. Little girls grow up thinking that they will be whisked away by a charming prince, and often that is exactly what happens. Someone with a charming […]

Repentance Isn’t Always About Specific Sin.

God uses life’s circumstances to draw us closer to Him. Sometimes He uses convicting us of specific sin to draw us back, and sometimes He helps us to see that we are living a lifestyle that is contrary to the Christian life. I think the latter is the harder one to swallow. We all have […]

Have You Ever Read Titus?

I was reading in Titus today. Titus is not a book that is often referenced and after reading it today, I don’t know why. I know at some point in my life I must have read the whole book, but it is one of those that seems to get lost in the other 66. Perhaps […]

Beautiful Fruit

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Have you ever joyfully picked up an apple, shined it, looked it over to find the perfect starting point and the moment you chomped down been greeted by a foul and rotten taste? The apple looked so good from the outside, deep red shiny perfect […]

The Husband In My Future

Recently my friend asked me what I thought about spending time praying for each other’s future spouses. We talked about writing a list of characteristics, qualities, areas of concern, protection etc. and sharing those lists with each other so we could be each be lifting up the future to the Lord. I have spent a […]

I Am Ready

This morning I heard a song on my way in to the office that was delivered again with perfect timing. God has a way of doing that lately.  He has been my rock and my peace all my life but I have been receiving it so much more actively these past weeks. So, back to […]

It Can’t Be Undone

Have you ever read Pilgrim’s Progress? If you haven’t read it I would highly recommend picking up a copy and experiencing the journey young Pilgrim takes as he navigates through life. I bring up this book to talk about a specific point in the book, how Pilgrim found an easier way through the tough stuff […]

A Warning In the Reveal

When your prayer every day is that God reveal something new, He is faithful to do just exactly that. This is what I have been asking over the last weeks. I want to see the areas I need to improve, I want to see the misguided thought processes, and acts of rebellion for what they […]

Oceans

Today I had intended to write a response to the last piece in the question. “What is your experience with yourself, life, and God in this moment?” However, my experience with God in this moment is not something I can eloquently put into words and I believe He is talking to me on a personal […]

No Longer Adrift

What is your experience of yourself, life, and God at this moment? This was the question that I encountered yesterday and have been reflecting on over the past 24 hours. Yesterday I touched on self, today I am going to explore the question of, what is my experience of life at this moment. We live […]

What is Your Experience of Yourself at This Moment?

What is your experience of yourself, life, and God at this moment? Doing devotions this morning this statement jumped out at me, and I want to explore it. What a powerful revealing this will be, I want to reflect on each aspect of the question and know it’s answer. I think it is arranged this […]

When My Knees Hit the Ground

Today has been another weird day. My Scripture reading this morning and the study that compliments the passages was again very poignant but I can’t seem to get my thoughts in order to write. Maybe I am not supposed to be adding to the blog today, maybe my thoughts are in disarray for a purpose. […]

We Followed the Moose Hair

Have you ever gone hiking in an unfamiliar area? I enjoy hiking, I enjoy being out in the woods, smelling the smells of nature, listening to the creatures as they scurry away from my approach. I enjoy the exercise and I enjoy the adventure. Hiking is one of my preferred pass times. Growing up in […]

Five Minute Warning

Sometimes I procrastinate. Sometimes I don’t do the things I should do when I should do them, and I do the things that don’t need to be done when I should be doing what should be done.  This is okay in the day to day sometimes, because unless there is an urgent need, most things […]

A Barrier Against The World

Have you ever really looked at the life of Solomon? He is praised as the wisest of kings but he, like all of us was severely flawed and made many mistakes.  So why does the Bible talk about the wisdom of Solomon? Apart from Jesus, there has never been a perfect man or woman throughout […]

I Want to be a Light

God speaks directly to the soul – the Soul is who you are in His presence. It is far too easy to fall into patterns of negativity, discouragement, prideful living, and good enough Christianity.  It is very easy to muddle through each day and watch the world slip on by. I was waiting to live. […]

Let Your Heart Sing Loudly

Bless the Lord oh my soul..ohhhh my soul…Worship His Holy name.. Sing like never before, oh my soul. I worship Your Holy name. Oh I worship Your Holy name. This has been my heart song these past days, even in my sleep last night. What a difference in attitude, in outlook, and in hope when […]

Because He Loves Me

I couldn’t sleep last night. I lay awake for hours distracted by thoughts and ideas, regrets and conviction, and hopes and dreams. I won’t describe all the different thoughts because we just don’t have the time, but with each reflection I found myself looking to the Lord for direction in a new way. I have been […]