Today is my birthday! I’m another year older, another year “wiser.” As I’ve thought about the past year, I can see many places where God placed His hand and His Holy Spirit over me. These are points in my life when I used to say, “We got lucky” instead of “God provided.”Changing my stance to focusing on God’s provision instead of trusting my circumstances to luck has made it much easier to see how...  Read More

Sometimes, life can feel like a rat race! Our plates can quickly become full as we juggle numerous responsibilities and duties. Before we realize it, enjoying life can be daunting due to exhaustion and over-exertion. Therefore, during this season of thanksgiving, I decided to be thankful for our Heavenly Father, who makes us rest. Yes, he makes us rest! Psalms 23:2 (KJV) declares, “He maketh me to...  Read More

To be thankful takes a certain amount of remembering. Looking back at the past few months of my life, I can genuinely say I’m thankful. Not that my situation is any better, but God's blessings have been abundant.If you don’t know my story, my husband has Alzheimer’s and Lewy body disease. This past June, I placed him at the VA Center in our town. It was a tough decision; it’s still rough, even aft...  Read More

Is it just me, or has Thanksgiving become more about food and football than being thankful?  OHSOFREE  wants to change that focus with the theme “thankful.” So many things come to mind, but I want to say I am thankful for my car.What do I drive? Well, it’s not a Maserati or a Corvette. It’s not a Lincoln or a Cadilac. It is the most ridiculed car in Hollywood movies for some strange reason. I driv...  Read More

I was the Director of Outreach and Care Ministries at a mega-church. This was an amazing position managing thousands of Christian volunteers in hundreds of local outreach needs. I was able to call upon volunteers in an instant during local events and emergencies. Second to God, I loved my church family more than anything. The associate pastor and the church secretary called me into his office one ...  Read More

Have you ever let your emotions take control and lost sight of God? Recently, I went back on my promise to God and got entangled in a situation I should have left alone. My lack of commitment gave Satan a foothold, and I ended up feeling emotionally distraught. I began to question the strength of my faith and wondered why I continued to open doors that led to heartache. Breaking my promise to God ...  Read More

Life is both spectacular and crushing. On the dark days, I clamber to praise my Jesus, who was light before the sun, moon, and stars hung in the sky.“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what...  Read More

“You make known to me the path of life;    you will fill me with joy in your presence,    with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11 NIV).During an overwhelmed and out-of-control season, I signed up for an online study on spiritual disciplines, where I learned the importance of silence, solitude, gratitude, and prayer.One of the habits taught was the Daily Examen, a prayer exercise cr...  Read More

Expressing thankfulness can be easy when life is good, but God calls us to be thankful in ALL circumstances. How can we show gratitude when life becomes challenging?In Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV), Paul the Apostle writes, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I have so much to be thankful for. I have a precious family,...  Read More

Have you ever experienced a “night” moment in life? A time when you felt joy was gone, and darkness surrounded you. Maybe the death of a loved one, a sickness in your body, or a wayward child has led you to weep. Will the weeping ever stop?It will stop! Psalm 30:5 (NKJV) declares, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” This scripture has encouraged me in some of the darke...  Read More

Scriptures sustain us, guide us, and provide assurance; they comfort us in troubled times and make us feel loved. I have found one piece of scripture, an entire psalm, that gives me all the provisions I just listed. It’s Psalm 139 in its entirety.I once memorized all 24 verses and recited them at church before singing the song “He Knows Your Name.” Let me share some examples of how this Psalm help...  Read More

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6. NKJV).At this stage of my life, I know that eventually, things will happen that will be hard to deal with and out of my control. It may look like losing the loves of my life, family, friends, and pets that are like family. I could go to a ...  Read More