Then one day in December, 2016, at the age of 55, my beloved pastor husband died of cancer. The ministry job of being a pastor's wife which I had been almost my entire life suddenly ended. A pastor's/missionary's widow loses not only her husband, but the only pastor she has known for years, her title, her ministry, most likely her church, and often herself.
Read MorePeace so strong that it covers all the noises that wreck our spirit, peace so strong nothing can blow it away, so strong that it is unexplainable, it passeth all understanding. This peace can’t be bought, sold, or exchanged. It can’t be traded.
Read MoreAs God moves in our hearts and lives, it is so easy to question, deliberate, and worry instead of act. Our response too many times is often “Wait”, “Maybe”, and sometimes even “No” when it should be “Yes.”
Read MoreThe Lord will give you folks to love and care for they are all over our churches. Lonely people are in active churches dealing with heartache. Reach out to them.
Read MoreEven with my limited eyesight I could see the fire monster that would soon come over that ridge within the next 30 minutes, bringing a fire tornado that would destroy our guest house, and nearly every tree and shrub on our 5.7 acres.
Read MoreWe have gotten into the terrible habit of not calling sin...sin, so that we can appease our fleshly lusts. Or we claim grace.
Read MoreWe need God’s Word just like rain to bring forth and accomplish the purpose of our lives. As necessary as the rain is so just as necessary is God’s Word to allow our lives to bloom to show forth the beauty of our Creator.
Read MoreSometimes we think we have to have everything asap. (The return of a prodigal child, gray hair, material things, etc…) Girlfriends, there’s a price that has to be paid for what we want, the price of patience. God is working everything out perfectly in His time.
Read MoreHe doesn't get mad because we are human, weak and fallible. He sees our weaknesses and loves us despite it. What I've learned is He actually shows Himself so much more during those moments with such a tender love. I had a night where I was crying and literally having some chest pains as I thought about our situation. I guess you could call it anxiety. This is something that I had never experienced before. It was scary. More than that I was pretty broken and feeling hopeless.
Read MoreEverybody gets discouraged at times. Everybody feels overwhelmed at times. Everybody feels trapped at times.
Everybody feels stressed at times. You see, you aren't the only one.
We can’t see ahead on this journey. We make plans, we take precautions, we get wise counsel; but ultimately, God is the One who designs each individual road map. He knows exactly where each journey is going to begin, its length, its bumps and curves, and where it ultimately is going to end.
Read MoreGive lots of hugs. Show them affection. They will understand the love of God better when they are shown unconditional love by their parents. Have fun!! Your children will remember the time you spent with them more than the money you spent on them. Psalm 127:3 - Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Read MoreYou, my friend, are a Child of God. He is your Abba Father. Your Heavenly Papa. He is your friend and companion. Your shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold. He is your guide and protection. He is your rock and un-shakable foundation. He is your never changing, never leaving, all knowing Father. The same one that laid down His life, out of love, for YOU!
Read MoreIf someone had to describe what my “of course” would be, I think it would be that I will always choose to fly instead of drive. Perhaps it would be that I will always choose Chipotle if given a choice. Maybe it’s that I will order tacos regardless of whatever else is on the menu. All of those would be quite accurate normal tendencies for me.
Read MoreOn November 19, 2011, a young man attacked my husband with what was believed to be a baseball bat. He hit him in the back of the head, while he was out soulwinning. This landed him in ICU with traumatic brain injury. For 6 days he didn’t know anything. He had a blank stare in his eyes. The back of his head was squishy to the touch. Who attacks a preacher? I had never worried about him getting hurt on the job.
Read MoreIf you live long enough, the best friends of your life were also those who found a way to be with you during tough times. How many stories would you have of friends who drove hundreds of miles to be with you, who jumped on an airplane to stand by your side, or those who canceled appointments to join you? The details differ, but one thing is certain about faithful friends; they don't stop with a phone call, letter, or an e-mail. They find a way to be there.
Read MoreEach set of hands tells a very unique story, over the years gathering scars and marks that tell the stories of what those hands have been involved with. You can tell a lot about a person by their hands. A mechanic’s hands might be a little grease stained, and perhaps a little battered and bruised. A pianists’ hands will most likely be soft, and have long graceful fingers. A carpenter’s hands would most likely be rough and calloused from hours of working with the tools of the trade.
Read MoreI remember sitting by my father’s hospital bed thinking, “I can’t even pray, why can’t I pray? I don’t even know what to say; I have no words. Where are you God?”
Read MoreLife is going to throw some really hard things at you and you will think to yourself “this is not fair, I didn't do anything to deserve this”. Truth is you probably didn't do anything to deserve it but God works in mysterious ways and we may never fully understand why bad things will happen to us, and if we aren't careful we will allow these things to make us bitter and steal our sweet spirit.
Read MoreDo you truly trust God to answer your prayer? And are you okay with his answer even if it’s not the one that you expected or the time you expected it to come. We always ask God for healing or answers to questions that go in a direction that makes it easier for us to bear. We forget that God is the one that knows what is best for us.
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