Quiet in His Love

Blessings come in many forms.  God uses His vast array of resources to send us blessings.  The blessings may be little, bitty things, or they may be so large that our socks get knocked off.  A blessing is a blessing whether it is tiny or magnificent.  And truly some of the "tiny" blessings have the most impact when they arrive at just the "right" moment. In March, my husband and I were heading out of town on a Wednesday to spend two nights away together in honor of our upcoming anniversary.  We were getting hungry so we got in the drive through line at a fast food restaurant.  When we arrived at the window to pay for our food, we were told that our food was payed for and God bless.  I couldn't help it...I began to cry. We hadn't ordered much, but the impact of that "small" act was a sweet balm to my soul.  With a job hunt in the works, since my husband had lost his job earlier in the year, money was tight.  Little do some people know of the ...

Today is the day to step boldly into the future God has for you.  No more holding back because of fear.  Leave fear behind.  Tell the doubts to hush up.  Bring on the faith...the faith of Peter stepping out of the boat...the faith contained in a mustard seed...the faith to move mountains.  We have been given that faith through our relationship with Christ.  Boldness may not come naturally to you, but with Christ you can walk in it.  He will equip you.  It is Time!  Your path is before you.  He has set it for you.  There will be obstacles along the way, but if you lean on Him, He will guide you through, around, and over them.  No more fear!  Just faith...prayer...God's grace, mercy, and leading...and a lot of joy. 

Life is hard.  This is not new information for many of you.  I pray it's not your life motto right now.  Instead, I hope your life motto is more along the lines of: God is good even when life is hard.  That's something to hang onto and embrace.  You can count to ten and then remind yourself: God is good even when life is hard.  It's a simple thing to acknowledge the truth of that statement, and remind yourself that it doesn't just have to be: life is hard.  God's goodness flows over the hardness of life and smooths away some of the jagged edges. This is a good reminder for me right now as some struggles are happening in my family.  I try hard to not put my family's concerns out in the public eye because I don't feel that's necessary.  However, with one of our recent struggles, I have turned to five dear ladies for prayer.  They are my prayer warriors, and I am beyond thankful for them.  If it weren't for my Abba Father, my handsome...

How would your life look if you spent a few minutes each day pondering what you are thankful for?  Little things, big things, medium things, doesn't matter...  Instead of concentrating on the things that cause you angst and stress, take time to truly consider the amazing things that are worthy of your gratitude.  When you woke up this morning, you could thank God right then for another day to enjoy, to be with those you love, to share God's goodness with others.  Gratitude produces a response in us...joy, excitement, happiness.  The response that is created when we consider the things that stress us out is not one that we want to encounter repeatedly, but who doesn't want to be filled with joy when considering all the things they are grateful for? I want to challenge each of you to take some time over the next five weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to contemplate the joys of gratitude.  Get a piece of paper or a little notebook and take time each day or onc...

Today, we went on our annual family pumpkin hunt.  This tradition started when our firstborn was less than a year old, I believe.  A tradition that has continued now for 9 years.  My husband and I enjoy the time with our kids searching for the right pumpkin for each family member, including our 2 miscarried children.  This year we also got a pumpkin for my husband and me and for my parents.  Eight pumpkins are now lined up by our front door...representing ten lives.  Some lives lasting over 60 years, others lasting less than 9 weeks in the womb.  Lives that matter, lives that we have been woven together with.  To say that our family pumpkin hunt is just that would be an understatement.  It really is a time to bond, to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, to remember those precious to us, to create memories that will (hopefully) last a lifetime.  Family time is not something to be lost in the shuffle of too much activity, too little intere...

Have you ever found yourself in one of those seasons that begs you to stay at home and not venture out to try again at relationships and life?  Have you wanted to just throw the towel in, call it a day, and find the perfect cave for the hermit life you're longing for?  I am guessing that if you're honest with yourself you've had those seasons and moments in life not just once but two, three, five times...  Many of us want everyone to think our life is picture perfect.  "All the pieces fit in my puzzle...what's wrong with yours?"  Yet, in the real world, behind closed doors your "picture perfect" is far from being perfect.  In fact, if anyone asked to take a picture, you would find a nice, sweet, hopefully calm way to tell them that your world wasn't the right one for their picture. I have been the one recently to not want to be vulnerable with those around me.  I have been through many acquaintances and even some friendships that have burned to ...

Life is a series of moments…   They vary from day to day, week to week, year to year.   There are the moments that take your breath away, the moments that fill your eyes with tears, the moments that draw you closer to your Father, the moments that make you want to stay in bed forever, the moments that bring a smile to your face…   Each of these little bits of time weave together into an amazing tapestry that makes up who we are.   A smell can bring us back to that day we first had fresh baked cookies at Grandma’s house, a song can bring us back to the time he asked for a date, a sound can remind us of little feet running through the house.   These moments, these glimpses of life that happen in a flash are part of an ever growing mosaic that is your life.   They fit together into the perfect puzzle of you.   Some moments you want to wish away, you want them to always remain boxed up never to be looked at or touched again.   You struggle to...