a life blessed

One of my new favorite 'soaking' songs that ;ve stumbled upon.  It is one of the songs on my playlist that I  listen to during my quiet time. May any empty space in my heart open its doors to God and allow Him to make His home inside my heart in every way. "Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens.  That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Today's thought comes right off the heels of my reading a blog I started following fairly recently ( scottishinvasion.blogspot.com ).   The writer tells of his and his wife's journey through adoption over the course of the last year or so with many highlights and many more disappointments - but a victorious ending!  One of the blogger's entries resonated with me, for it met me and my family where we are in so many ways.  Here is a summary of the portion from the particular post that impacted me: II Chronicles 12:14 - "... he did evil because he did not determine in his heart to seek the Lord." Most of the time, the enemy probably doesn't bother you because you are already evil.    Do you feel like you're being attacked by the enemy in your life? Then you're probably of no danger to him in trying to thwart the spread of God's Kingdom. I feel it can go both ways...sometimes God allows attacks to draw us closer to Him due to our ...

    (This song has been on replay ever since the day my worship leader introduced it to me.  It definitely has met me where I am, and I can't get enough of it! Take a moment to listen. You won't regret it. Truth is . . . I'm tired. Have you ever been there?  You may be there now.  If not, chances are you will most likely be there at some point in your life. Truthfully speaking ... I am there, in more ways than one.  This post may be a bit uncomfortably transparent, but it is what it is... the truth.   While I am the happiest I have  ever been in my life... I have an unbelievable husband who is my best friend and never fails to show me how much he loves me; I have two teenage boys of whom I am very proud because of the fine young men they are growing up to be; my family is healthy; but most of all and most importantly, my God is a good God and has blessed me and ...

What one positive thing has a parent, friend, teacher, coach or mentor said to you when you were young?  Do you still remember it vividly?   What one negative thing do you remember a parent, friend, teacher, coach or mentor saying to you when you were young?  How did this comment affect you then? Does it still affect you today?   Personally, one of my most vivid memories is that of my 5th grade teacher and his picking on me playfully as he made a derogatory statement about some shoes I was wearing, or so I thought was a derogatory statement.  They were new shoes - high heels (of sorts) -  and one of my best friends had a pair just like them.  I was so very proud of them!  This was my first day to wear them, and I chose to wear a dress to school just so I could wear my new shoes (a maroon colored dress with cream colored lace, no doubt).  The shoes looked something like this...    but they had more of a w...

One of my FAVORITE blogs, Women Living Well, is making  a challenge to us in the month of October to 'make our home a haven'.   Go to www.womenlivingwell.org  to enjoy the blog, or click here to start the challenge.  CHECK IT OUT!  /

Our church has gone through a renovation of our sanctuary and the addition of a new children's wing over the last several months, and it is soon to be completed.  The architect and construction company have taken measures to keep the rubble, mess & noise away from the church members and the staff to make our church as "user friendly" as possible while construction takes place.  As a staff member, I occasionally find myself in areas where construction is taking place as, at times, it just cannot be avoided. I recently entered an area where construction was taking place, but the work zone was blocked off by pieces of pressed wood that had been boarded up.  You could hear the grinding of the saws and the hammering of the nails, and you could hear the workers talking, but you could not see any of the work going on behind the nailed-up pressed wood. Have you ever wondered how some people always seem ...

I share Sunday School teaching responsibilities with two God-gifted, God-fearing ladies who, I must say, inspire me tremendously to keep seeking God diligently in my daily walk.  These two ladies love the Lord with all their heart, so much so that one can almost smell the sweet aroma of their burning desire for God! I am so blessed to be a part of Bonnie's and Amanda's lives, especially in this arena, as they encourage me in the Lord for such a time as this!! On the flip side...Unlike Bonnie & Amanda, I am not a natural teacher.  It is not a gift that comes naturally to me -- I have to work hard at devising a 'teaching plan' that would flow and prick the hearts of our oh-so-special teenage girls.  Mind you, I have PRAYED that God would speak to me like He does Beth Moore and give me the talent he has given her of story telling and writing in-depth Bible studies, etc. etc.  Oh, to be...