Don't Give Up

What the French Toast Batman??? This morning students had a 2 hour delay in virtual learning because Google was down! Our poor kids… will they ever be able to experience those incredible classroom moments again? The ones like we had? Christmas music playing from the teachers desk as we cut snowflakes out of construction paper, sticky pom poms covered in glue as we made homemade cards for our family members and homemade cookies brought in by the class mom. I highly doubt it. This year Santa Claus will have to ship your presents via UPS because he can’t get closer than 6ft to your house and he’s so fat a mask will surely suffocate him to death. His Christmas music is probably offensive to more than half the world and Rudolph’s red nose will probably be deemed some kind of radioactive side effect from drones circling the North Pole and he will be quarantined as soon as he lands. I crave simpler times...I’m sure most of us do… and this year in particular. In some ways 2020 has forced us to

I've searched the bible over and over again and looked for those sweet verses that would confirm once you become a child of God life is full of answered prayers, physical healing, dried up tears... rainbows and unicorns. I'm sure you can already guess...I failed to find them. What I did find was this - scriptures that contain multiple promises for God's children. I found that nothing is impossible for God or those that believe in Him. But I also found that God is a great big God and that His ways are so much greater than ours - that what He does in the spiritual realm will almost make absolutely no sense to us here in the physical realm - at least until the work has been completed. It's during that time that we can look back in amazement at how it all worked together to bring us to that one ah-ha moment where we finally "get it". So as I continue to walk through this uncertain season in my life I cling to the promises of God. I have embraced the fact that we w

Several months ago the world went into crisis mode. I too went into crisis mode but it wasn’t related to COVID 19. It was due to something completely different and something completely unexpected. My heart still isn’t ready to share the details of this event - but I will share this - it was my greatest fear becoming a reality.   We all have fears. Some of them are so great that the very thought of them leave us feeling paralyzed. Then if we actually encounter them - we do become paralyzed. The day I confronted my greatest fear face to face I became the weakest and yet the strongest I have ever been in my life. It’s amazing to me how the scripture from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 came alive to me in the weeks/months following this occurrence.   But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesse

Did that title get your attention? Haha! Well I say it with the most sincerest of attitudes… I love my boobs… and here is why. Several years ago during my annual gynecological visit my doctor found a knot in my left breast. The office quickly scheduled a mammogram and within a week  I got the news I needed to come in for a biopsy. I think I blogged about it then… can’t really remember… but I remember feeling so scared. The thought of leaving my husband and children behind at such a young point in our family’s life saddened me to my core. I know thinking that way was premature but you know how our minds work… we ride the thought train all the way to the absolute worst scenario. And I did. It ended up being benign and life presumed as normal. Well normal for me has taken on a different definition lately. I’ve been busy, overwhelmed and distracted all at the same time. My yearly mammogram visit crept up on me but I didn’t have a care in the world. They’ve been fine and clear for years a

As I stepped outside for my morning walk I determined it would not be like any other walk. Routine can be good but it can also lead you to take things and people for granted. I decided today I would be open to receive all that I could from my morning walk and focus on appreciating what was around me. It rained last night and the smell of the air after the rain has always been a favorite smell of mine. It makes me think about growth and thriving and the arrival of Spring. I filled my lungs with the fresh air and with purpose I began my walk. In light of the COVID -19 outbreak my thoughts have consumed me. It’s true I had a lot on my mind before this epidemic but now on lock down in my home I have even more time to think. So as I ventured out to exercise I decided I was not going to take it for granted. I breathed in the fresh air, listened to the birds sing and even eavesdropped on their conversations with one another. I watched the squirrels chase each other around and up the trees c

If you don’t have a sense of humor… or you are easily offended - Stop Reading! I hadn’t been to see my ‘lady’ doctor (who is not a lady) in quite a while… so my husband made me an appointment. Yes, my husband. He’s just as concerned about that area as I am - maybe more so. I had been complaining of irregular periods, pain and some other things - I’ll spare you the details -  but if you are women… you soooo get me! He called - scheduled my appointment and 2 weeks later I went. I love my doctor. He is so kind and patient. He’s been my doctor since Andrew, my oldest, was in utero. But - for the first time in 20 years as I was lying on the examination table in the usual uncomfortable position and I thought to myself - what does Jesus think about all this??? A man that isn’t my husband checking out my nether regions more thoroughly than my husband ever has. I mean I had never ever thought about this before. All the while my doctor is asking me questions, carrying on quite the conversati

Someone recently asked me what would I say to a young woman that had been the victim of Human Trafficking. I’ll be honest… it rattled me. I come across hurting women all the time. I spent many years as a youth leader and associate pastor and all kinds of hurting people have crossed my path… but I never met a women or man for that matter that had been the victim of Human Trafficking. Abused… yes… raped… yes… beat up… yes… and each one has a permanent place in my heart. When I scroll social media and see the evidence of this horrible epidemic in our world, it makes me sick to my stomach. When I see the countless ‘missing’ children posters that flood my  Facebook wall  - my thoughts immediately go to ‘God please don’t let them be kidnapped and sold into human trafficking’ and then I pray for their safe return - then I click share. What we do and what we say in speaking with these delicate precious children of God is crucial to their recovery. I would never take on a case of this mag

You’ve heard that old saying “hills and valleys” - well I don’t know about you but my 2019 felt more like trenches and glaciers. My family went through some of the most extreme highs and lows that we have ever been through. It was a radical year. As I was preparing myself for 2020 - making resolutions, ministry plans and all that comes with a brand new year - I found myself getting so excited to say goodbye to 2019. I began focusing on all the sad and bad things that happened to our family and in that I was completely overlooking some pretty extraordinary things that happened too… then I quickly realized that kind of attitude wasn’t pleasing to God. I prayed for God to help me redirect my thoughts and what came next was nothing short of my God showing up and showing off! I absolutely love the fact that every picture I take gets backed up to my Google Drive and with one click I have all of my pictures at my fingertips. I tapped 2019 and scrolled through a year of emotional memories th