Misc

Giving – Guest Post by Cheri Gregory

I am so excited to introduce you to my friend and M.O.M. Initative mom Cheri Gregory. Her post will challenge and encourage you. I can’t wait to see their smiles. I imagine the 3-year-old opening her gift and hugging it close. The 7-year-old holding hers up and twirling around with it. Their smiles are the…

A Prayer for Our Government

Father God we thank You for the USA. We thank you for the success and prosperity we have enjoyed. We thank You that You are sovereign over all the affairs of men. Father we are concerned about the financial situation facing our nation. Lord our staggering national debt is frightening. We pray our representatives and…

Because Sometimes it Hurts. . . Memory Monday

“Mommy, we named L’s twin,” E’s sweet voice and smile welcomed me as I walked into our kitchen. Tears stung my eyes and my heart moved to my throat. L joined in and we talked about names and babies I never held in my arms. The pain of those losses clung to me long after…

The Light of Day

I found myself and my three kids in a very smelly bathroom that only had two stalls. (It is ok you can go ahead and snicker. . . I know you are laughing at me) When we first walked in the bathroom E dashed into the first stall and L tried to take the second.…

The Towers Fell

Today is the day we remember. . . Towers falling, planes crashing, people jumping, heroes made and lost. We remember the thousands of lives lost. . . each one had a life song. . . Images of chaos, blood, smoke, dust, and ash fill our minds. Reminders. But do we really remember? Do we walk…

The Sound of Rushing Water

The trail curved, tall maple trees loomed on either side as the sun filtered green through the canopy of leaves. There wasn’t much noise – no cars, voices, or hums from appliances. My husband and I walked hand-in-hand. “Can you hear it?” I broke our silence. My husband knitted his brow, then a flash of…

Memory Monday. . .

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you are having a GREAT weekend. Last week I had one of “those” days. The kind where you can’t get the motion activated water in public restrooms to work, the soap sprays everywhere, a delayed flight, what was supposed to be a one hour lay-over turned into a six-hour…

Pressing In

Some days lay us low, stress us out, and there we stand as if naked – our sin and faults airing dirty. Our dreams of the picture perfect family and getting ready for school without drama shatter about us. Those days hang heavy as God gently but firmly chisels away the yuck to free us…

Because Feeling Small is Really Good

Tears stained my cheeks – crying was becoming a habit. One I didn’t particularly enjoy, but perhaps God needed me here. My emotions raw over the hugeness of the dream only He could bring about. “I feel small,” I confessed to my friend. “When I talk about the dream, the goal God is laying on…

Giveaway information and Fasting

Today I have a post up at The M.O.M. Initiative and they are having two weeks of great give-aways. Check out the post Sibling Squabbles here. Yesterday I fasted from the time I woke up until 3 PM. I wonder if God uses fasting to show me how desperately sinful I am. I acted cranky,…

Misc

EnJOYing Election Season: Cultivating Joy in the Chaos

“Evangelicals for Harris” are all CHINOS — Christians In Name Only. God is not fooled. Neither should we be fooled. My Social Media feeds are full of vitriol…from both sides of the political divide. “How can any Christian vote for a convicted criminal, rapist, insurrectionist, etc.” And it grieves me. The Bible says that all…

Art and Beauty: How to Embrace Beauty to Change Culture

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way… things I had no words for.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe Sometimes we forget that God created beauty. At least we evangelicals who value utilitarianism above beauty and art do. We forget that God is the original artist. He paints on canvases…

A Reason to Go to Church: God’s Presence and Joy

“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much.” Claudio, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare God does something special when His people come together as a congregation. When we sing, take communion, baptize people, listen to the preaching of God’s Word, His presence comes to us in a special…

Joy and Presence

Just a note…I have missed sharing this space with you all. So through prayer and planning, my goal is to post here twice a month. I hope you are blessed. Where Joy is Found You [the LORD] reveal the path of life to me;in your presence is abundant joy;at your right hand are eternal pleasures. Psalm…

Intimacy, Holiness, and Power

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” Psalm 15:1 My heart echoes the cry of the psalmist. How do I get close to God? How do I develop a deep and abiding relationship? Can I move-in with God? What must I do so I can dwell with…

Discipline and Missions

The word God gave me this year is discipline… I am flat out bad at it. I feel constrained by schedules and when I don’t accomplish tasks on the days I plan I chastise myself. But then I don’t plan my time and so I have a stack of things that need mended or a…

God Did It – A Conference, A Call, and You

In case you didn’t know, last week I spoke at The M.O.M. Initiative’s Better Together Conference. Here are some pictures of the conference. I flew on a plane to Jacksonville, Florida and met with 22 authors and speakers who shared break-out sessions and keynotes to several hundred women. It was a sweet time of…

Things You Shouldn’t Say because Infertility Hurts

A salesperson bounced toward me as I lifted my two-year-old into a navy-blue shopping cart. “She is so cute. Can I have her?” she teased as the blood drained from my face. I turned toward my precious girl, throat tightening, “No.” I shook my head. “Why not? You can just have more,” her words pierced…

Ash Wednesday Fail

Yesterday was the first day of the Lenten season. I did not grow up observing Lent, but as I began to read about this season the more I felt drawn to it. 46 days including Sundays and Maudy Thursday, Good Friday, and the day before Easter. Yes 46 days to focus on Christ…to begin in…

How to Choose Joy

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” And grief it is natural to this sinful world. It oozes into the beautiful moments of life… When someone near us should be there, but isn’t. When what is reminds us of a should have been. And the ache threatens…

Misc

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