Congratulations to Sandra Hogge, the winner of a copy of Take Hold of the Faith You Long For from the random drawing from the comments of last blog post!!!
When Shame Weighs You Down
I sat on my back porch, wrapped in my fuzzy worn robe—the one that’s twenty years old but I just can’t seem to get rid of.
The birch tree leaves shivered in the cool morning crispness and the gerbera daisies that had been sleeping beneath the soil through the winter months, stretched their faces to the sun . Read more…
When You Wonder If You Got What It Takes
Back in the 1960’s there was a song titled, “You Got What It Takes.” I don’t remember the song from when it debuted, but I have heard it since.
Dinah Washington and Brook Benton weren’t the only ones singing “You got what it takes.” Peter said it too. He wrote this about God, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. Read more…
Taking Hold When You Cannot See
He sat behind me in the Boeing headed west.
Perhaps “sat” is not the right word.
He didn’t speak, but I felt him rummaging about.
Occasional kicks and pushes against the back of my seat let me know he was there.
Little boy noises. Restless, “get me out of here” stirrings.
And then I saw fingers. Read more…
When Comparison Kills Confidence
If there’s one thing I know it’s this: Comparison is the devil’s tool that has kept many of us gals from stepping into our God-given destinies…and it’s time to stop!
You know I’ve been camping out with Moses by the burning bush for over a year while writing Take Hold of the Faith You Long For. When we meet up with Moses in Exodus chapter 3, Read more…
When You Want to Live Bold But Are Afraid
I was sitting on the balcony of a condominium at the beach with my computer in my lap. In the background I listened to the excited squeals and splashes as children played in the swimming pool below.
One particular little girl caught my attention. She appeared to be about six years old and wore bright yellow water wings wrapped around her arms like blood pressure cuffs. Read more…
When You Need a Power Statement to Hang On To
Have you ever been in a situation where one sentence just jumped out at you?
In a sermon?
In a book?
In a conversation?
Today, I’m not going to write a blog post, but simply post 20 quote from Take Hold of the Faith You Long For: Let Go. Move Forward. Live Bold. Read more…
How Taking Hold Makes All the Difference
I was alone, or at least I felt that way. Women huddled in happy clusters chatting about first one thing and then another. Some propped babies on their hips. Others clutched Bibles in their hands.
Most wore smiles on their faces. I wore one too. But it wasn’t a reflection of what was in my heart. The upturned lips were simply the camouflage I wore to blend in—to avoid being found out. Read more…
Whose Voice Will You Listen To?
Last night was the end of March Madness when the UNC Tar Heels lost to the Villanova Wildcats by two points in the NCAA men’s basketball championship game. (If I were you, I might stop reading right now, but don’t. Keep going.)
I’m not much of a sports fan, even though I attended the University of Chapel Hill. Read more…
Changing the Ending to Your Story
My friend Bonnie and I followed the GPS along winding back roads of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I had been speaking at an event in the area, and felt drawn to this place I’d come to know as Amish Grace.
Horse-drawn buggies with bearded drivers clippitty-clopped in front of us as if it were just another day. My stomach churned wondering what we would find. Read more…