Are you living on a prayer or from prayer to prayer? Do you know who God is? Is God the magic genie in a bottle? These thoughts used to plague my mind as I am an overthinker.Growing up in church and learning about him, I thought I knew who God was. God was always a part of my life, so much so that I took him for granted. I did whatever I wanted while still participating in my church community.I be...  Read More

Have you ever heard to be careful what you wish for because you may get it?When I decided to marry again five years after a volatile first marriage, I was surprised I met a man to marry. My relationship with God was healing, and I was learning to trust Him.In 1994, I was conflicted in my faith journey. My life was turned upside down as I struggled in my second marriage. My husband made poor choice...  Read More

I remember sitting on the church floor on a summer Sunday night with crayons and paper. At the age of 4, I didn’t have a great attention span, but something the pastor said spoke to me. He gave an altar call, and I got up to go. My mom stopped me, thinking I didn’t understand. I understood that I needed Jesus. The next day, I knelt and prayed at the “altar” in my kiddie pool. God has faithfully ke...  Read More

What is your testimony? Does the idea of sharing your heart and faith with others intimidate you? Your testimony can be much more than the words you speak about God.As followers of Christ, we are called to testify about the impact Jesus has had on our lives. Putting into words the details of the moment we surrendered our life and the relationship we have with Christ is only part of sharing our tes...  Read More

I’ve spoken about my testimony many, many times over the years. It’s often a story about the thread of betrayal which weaves through my life from early childhood onward, along with all its sad offshoots of abuse, trauma, and mistaken choices and how God was with me through it all. Conversely, my testimony can become an autobiography of personal accomplishments within Church ministry (or without) a...  Read More

One of my earliest memories is of my parents reading the Bible, praying, and singing hymns. As I reminisce about my faith-filled family, I recall dressing up for church on Sunday, attending Sunday School, and learning about Jesus. Since my beginning, and spanning 53 years of life on earth, my faith in God has been a strong foundation.For many years, I heard stories about how believers were to live...  Read More

It was such a busy day. I returned home from errands, intending only to drop something off and head out again to help my aging parents. However, one of my perennial daisy flower bushes caught my eye, making me pause. There were many spent flowers mixed in with the lovely ones. An analogy came to mind, bringing a smile. I slowly and carefully plucked off each dead or dying little flower. This task ...  Read More

Do you ever feel like you are on the hamster wheel of life? Busy with task after task. Is your life consumed, but you are having trouble seeing any accomplishments or progress? Perhaps we are too busy being busy, and we’ve neglected the necessity of rest. Maybe like me, you need to halt from busyness.Who can we look to for the blueprint on rest, thereby resisting the urge to occupy our lives with ...  Read More

Just two months ago, I was in a different place.  The term busyness had such a different meaning for me.  My husband, who has Alzheimer’s and Lewy Bodies disease, made busyness a necessity.  I spent my days busy taking care of him and struggling to find time to take care of me. This past June, per our neurologist’s advice, he was admitted to the VA Memory care unit here in our town, and busyness k...  Read More

My brain is a busy place. Like most of us, my days are packed from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Five children, dogs, chickens, my husband, and a home all need my attention at some point. Those are only the things at the house. In addition, there are other things like grocery shopping, appointments, and play dates.Are the things that I’m doing wrong? Well, no. Are they uplifting ...  Read More

“But whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3 NIV).This scripture is a life verse for me and a “spiritual pacemaker” that reminds me of the source of my strength. When I begin to allow the busyn...  Read More

It's worth reflecting on the impact busyness has on our lives and our relationship with God. Often, we find ourselves caught up in the activities of day-to-day life, neglecting the essential aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, we sacrifice precious moments we could have spent with God, family, and friends to keep up with household chores and other pressing demands.The theme for this month had a s...  Read More