“All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings…” Exodus 35: 21-22 NLT
Friends, this was how the Tabernacle was built. Those who felt God’s calling gave their most prized possessions. Those who felt moved by the message from the Lord offered their time, talents, money, premier fabrics, heirlooms, rainy day funds — whatever they had, they gave to God.
Continue Reading »
Life has been busy. So much so that I’ve had to put the brakes on a few of the things that I love. I know that God is working it all out. I believe that those things that I have had to lay down will be picked back up again. Life may not look the same, and I’m okay with that. Sometimes we have to empty our hands and take a step back as we allow God to adjust our view, giving us a different perspective and a better understanding of what it is He’s calling us to do.
A few weeks ago I was washing dishes and gazing out the window at my son playing basketball on the patio.
Continue Reading »
What would happen if we stopped thinking so much? Over thinking is a curse I battle on a daily basis. I over think everything, even now as I write out my thoughts I am overthinking about overthinking. Is that the right way to say it? Does that make sense? Maybe I should write about something else?
I can overthink and over analyze just about anything and everything. I carry a microscope around with me everywhere. It is EXHAUSTING yall! Don’t get me wrong thinking is a gift of God that we as His children have been given to make choices that honor Him and give Him glory.
Continue Reading »
She comes in around 1 A.M. crying, “My foot hurts!” I rub her leg with oils, giver her some pain meds, pray for her, stroke her hair as she folds her little body into mine and finally rests.
Growing Pains
These past few weeks I have had growing pains.
My feet hurt from walking this walk of obedience.
My legs hurt from climbing this mountain of faith.
My arms hurt from carrying around loads that weigh me down.
My back aches from being stretched and pulled.
My head hurts from constantly captivating my thoughts, insecurities and fears.
When growing pains hurt, I want to just cry.
Continue Reading »
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
My Life Verses are Proverbs 3:5-6. What are Life Verses? Simply, they are favored verses that hold a deep meaning to us. What do these verses mean to me? They are how I live my life. They guide my life. When I am faced with choices, struggles, and uncertainties—I run to these verses and apply them to each present situation.
Let’s look at these two verses a little closer today and how I have applied them to my life.
Continue Reading »
Parenting has the tendency to threaten our peace with fear, doesn’t it?
There are several ways the enemy can plant seeds of fear into our head, threatening to sink deep into our heart & destroy the peace that Jesus provides.
- Fear of Failure as a Parent/Step Parent
- Fear that our child(ren) will reject Jesus
- Fear that our finances will collapse
- Fear that our child(ren) will get sick or hurt
- Fear that we’ll damage our children somehow
Fear is ugly
The Holy Spirit brings 2 Timothy 1:7 to mind, and two words jump out at me:
Sound Mind
I’ve been reading through Bonnie Gray’s book Finding Spiritual Whitespace, as well as blogging my way through my personal Journey to Rest.
Continue Reading »
There are not degrees of sin—sin is sin. I know that. But sometimes, when sin looks like pure evil…well, that’s harder to swallow.
I recently attended a presentation on human trafficking in the United States. The speaker, a senior criminal investigator, informed us that there are more enslaved in the U.S. today than in any other time in history. I’d already been hearing that, so I wasn’t shocked, but to hear him describe the crimes, the victims, and how the traffickers work…it was upsetting in ways I can’t describe.
I watched as he paced while answering questions and heard his attempt to temper his words.
Continue Reading »
We walked back up from the river in the deepening dusk. As we rounded the bend we saw them—fireflies twinkling among the thistles and Queen-Anne’s lace bordering the path.
My daughter froze. “Mom,” she said in a reverent whisper, “Are those fireflies? I’ve never seen them before.”
We held out our hands to catch the light and watched the fireflies dance in defiance of the dark.
God has called us to be light. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Continue Reading »
