A friend told me of sitting with his father discussing the distribution of his “worldly goods,” when the time came to do so. “My dad had very little joy in his life,” Mike explained. “As we sat there discussing who was going to get what when he died, I saw a pride in him I had never noticed before. ‘I did all this,’ he said as he waved his hand around the room like Vanna White. Read more…
Making God Easier to See
When I turned forty, all of a sudden small letters and numbers got smaller. A trip to the ophthalmologist proved that I needed reading glasses.
But I had a hard time keeping up with them, so the doctor fitted me with mono-vision contact lenses. In my left eye I wear a contact lens for close up and in my right eye I wear a contact lens for distance. Read more…
What You Miss When You Don’t Forgive
This post is personal…really personal. I pray God will use it in your life. Live free, my friend.
One last wish.
The longing of a dying mother’s heart.
A wish that only one person could have satisfied. But he didn’t.
If you’ve read any of my books, you know that my childhood was a cauldron of violent arguments, Read more…
When You’re Afraid to Jump Into the Deep End of God’s Will
Have you ever been afraid to say “yes” to God? I have. Today I’m writing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries. I thought you could use the encouragement too. Let’s jump in together!
I was sitting on the balcony, listening to excited squeals and splashes as children played in the swimming pool below.
One particular little girl caught my attention. Read more…
Sometimes You Just Need to Breathe
It was one of my favorite trees. And it was dying.
We live on a lake, and my dying tree was truly a “tree planted by streams of water.” So how could it be dying? How could branches right in the smack dab middle of the bushy green be turning into kindling? It didn’t make sense.
I called an arborist to come out and take a look. Read more…
When You Feel Like Giving Up
I’m writing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Encouragement for Today this morning. I wanted to share this with you too. By the way, if you haven’t been over to P31’s website, check it out!
Can I make a confession? Sometimes I quit too soon.
I’ve quit when what I really needed was to press on and press through. Read more…
When God Throws a Little Bit of “All Things” in Your Life
I love Romans 8:28.
Now, let me be honest…sometimes I don’t.
When I am going through a dark time of loss or disappointment, and someone throws a sloppy coat of Romans 8:28 on my open wound, I just want to scream.
There. I said it.
What does God mean by “all things” anyway? Read more…
You Are Worth Pursuing
Did you know that God is pursuing you…still?
I was in college when I first eyed my husband. He was sitting on the floor at a friend’s Bible study gathering with his back against the wall, dressed in scruffy jeans and a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his muscular forearms.
His thick brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes left me weak in the knees. Read more…
Can I Really Trust God?
This devotion is running over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today. I wanted to share it with you as well. I’m giving away a FREE Identity in Christ card at the end, so leave a comment and join the conversation.
I stood in the front yard waiting for the yelling to stop before I went back inside. Read more…
When You Feel Like God is Far Away
Have you ever felt like Jesus was on vacation or lost your address? Have you ever cried out, “God, where are you?” I know I have.
A crisis of belief occurs for most of us during difficult situations. We know that God is all-powerful and could rescue, heal, or save us at any time. So we tend to feel abandoned or duped when He doesn’t. Read more…