The jonquils are blooming here and there in our area. The up and down temperatures are causing a stir in nature. It’s amazing to me that these lovely flowers will bloom even in the snow and not die. Oh beloved, bloom! Bloom where you are planted. Bloom out of season. Bloom when all in the natural wants to stunt your life. It’s not about having things right and perfect that you are able to bloom. It’s because your roots are grounded in Christ. This is not the season to cut off the blooms and discard your beauty. It’s time to …
Choose Your Battles Well
There’s a big discussion going on social media between the early decorating versus waiting to decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. We have been in both camps. One year early in our marriage I was pregnant and having some problems so there was no going into the woods. Thankfully my hubby bought our tree just a day or two before Christmas while he was training In Little Rock. We’d never had pre cut tree! We finally decided to use artificial trees later because we couldn’t agree on which tree to cut. I always wanted a tree that truthfully was too big …
Being Transformed
I love reading underdog stories. You know the type where the not expected to win people become the big winners. I read about a young woman who started gymnastics as a way to help build much needed muscle tone as a small girl. Through that decision she was transformed from being unable to execute simple muscle maneuvers to a four-time national championship at the Special Olympics. Oh beloved, what is God saying when He brings a story like this to our focus? He is saying that your weaknesses have nothing to do with your abilities. He’s saying that Christ is …
Ever Been Stung?
When she was about two years old, our oldest daughter picked up a bumblebee that was on her swing set. She held it in the palm of her hand and even kissed it! It all happened so quickly that I knocked the bee out of her hand and grabbed her up. Nobody wants anything like that to happen to their babies! Especially when you know what it feels like to get stung. You avoid that as best you can. Oh beloved, when it comes to being stung, you know about it. You’ve experienced the sting of rejection, the bite of betrayal …
The Giver of Gifts
Since the weekend was sunny for a change, we spent most of the two days outside. After church we came home and ate a quick lunch. After we did some gun siting (well Danny did, lol) we went to Iron Mountain marina and enjoyed spending a gift certificate that I had. We had forgotten all about that certificate, which was given to me spring of last year as I won a t-shirt design contest they put on. What a blessing for the New year! It reminded me that we should never forget the good gifts God gives us. We need …
Bigger Than The Ocean
When I was young we lived near the ocean – well the Gulf of Mexico. One day I was dipping my two year old toes into the waves, barely. My parents were laughing and talking together on the beach. I looked at them having so much fun and said, “I guess you guys are just gonna let me drown!” (I based that on the tv news that shared a young boy had gotten caught in a rip tide and drowned recently) Oh beloved, feel like you’re drowning in the ocean? Do you think God has forgotten you and is just …
Unpack Those Boxes
It’s hard to believe but we have some boxes in the shop that are still packed up from when we moved into this house nearly 20 years ago. Some boxes are trinkets and treasures still held dear, but no place to put them. Others are boxes with who knows what inside them. I need to open all the boxes and see what I can find. If I never get around to it I’ll never get to use a single thing in those boxes. Oh beloved, did you know that God has boxes of treasures just waiting for you to open? …
Trials Make The Believer More Beautiful
As I went into the store to pick up a couple of rotisserie chickens I saw two friends who are sisters visiting. I laughingly said, Hey ladies, blocking the aisle!” They turned and we laughed and hugged. One of the sisters had cancer a few years ago and she is a survivor. As I hugged her I looked and told her that she looks so young. She said sure and we laughed again. But I looked in her face again and truly she looks younger than she did before she went through her trial. God spoke to my heart: When …
What Do You Want for Christmas?
Danny asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I was hard pressed to think of anything. While I was thinking about it, he said I don’t want a thing. I’ve got what I want. That’s how I feel too. Now there will probably be something under the tree, but we received so much this year and we are very grateful to still have one another. Oh beloved, what are you longing for this Christmas? Do you have a list ready? Are you frantically hoping your list gets filled? Maybe you’re hopeless. Nothing has ever turned out right on Christmas anyway. …
One Constant
One Constant We realized after coming home from the rehab hospital that we had been gone so long that our local discount store had been completely repainted. Time does not stop while we are experiencing difficult times. Things change. We change. Life changes. But one constant in all of life’s ups and downs is the Lord. Oh beloved. God is not going to disappoint you. When you are at your worst moments or when things are completely changing in your world He is still God. He wants you to know that He is with you. …
At the Cross-My Purpose is to Serve
My husband, sister-in-law, and I were out of town for their father’s funeral. The night before, we settled into a nearby hotel and did what all modern, technically limited adults do; we checked our Facebook. Almost immediately, I noticed a post about an accident near our home. Our daughter lives next door, so I checked in with her. She was in shock. Three teenage girls were involved in a one-vehicle accident about a half-mile away. In the confusion, neighborhood parents were calling to make sure their kids were safe. Meanwhile, medical helicopters were sitting down, and the parents of the …
At the Cross-God’s Plan in Action
The conference was what I wanted. The topics sounded informative, the lodging looked beautiful, and the hands-on video training was only slightly intimidating. I calculated ninety-six hours I could spend fine-tuning my speaking craft. I even planned out my free time. Between classes, I’d retreat to my room, practice my speech, and edit my novel. So, I registered and attempted to book a flight. The plane schedules were awful! Flying would take almost twice as long than if I drove. It dampened my enthusiasm. I reluctantly decided to drive. The long road trip turned out to be easy, even …