I have a natural tendency towards self preservation. I suppose we all do, it’s an inborn instinct with the design to prevent harm and ensure life. On the surface it doesn’t sound like a bad thing. We make choices, what appear to be wise choices, to keep ourselves safe. We drive carefully, we avoid dark alleys at night, we park in well-lit areas, and hopefully we follow laws meant to protect us. All wise choices, all done to play it safe. But what happens when our playing it safe mentality transfers to our spiritual walk and keeps us from experiencing the miraculous? One my favorite women in the Bible is the woman with the bleeding issue. For twelve years she suffered with prolonged bleeding, and although she spent all her money on physicians, none were able to heal her infirmity. At that time, because she was considered ritually unclean according
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A few years ago, my husband had been battling a nasty virus that had him in bed several days and feeling pretty weak. By the third day or so, he wanted to try moving around and attempted to take a shower. He probably should have taken it easy a little longer, because he ended up passing out and hitting his head. I heard the commotion and ran to the bathroom to find blood from where he’d hit the edge of the counter. We spent our Saturday morning in the ER so he could get staples to close the wound. It wasn’t how either of us would have liked to start the weekend, but I was so glad that I was there when it happened because he was too weak to take care of it himself. Recently, I was having a very difficult time while grieving the loss of a loved
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Dear Friend and Mom, I wanted to take a moment this Mother’s Day to say “thank you”. I know you  don’t get the consistent affirmation or accolades that you deserve for all that you do. And even on Mother’s Day, when moms all across America are being honored and celebrated, you may not get breakfast in bed or have a collection of hand made cards presented to you. You may not get the “day off” from cooking or taking care of the kids. And I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you probably won’t get to sleep in like you often dream of. There probably won’t be anyone to tell you that you’re doing your job right and celebrate the positive influence you have on your kids, but that is not a reflection of the job you are doing. Today, I want you to know
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When getting onto a busy elevator, you can literally risk your life!  With so many hands pushing buttons and people attempting to fit their entire family plus multiple luggage pieces into a 4” x 6” box, you might barely make it on board as the doors close while parts of your body get caught in the squeeze.  If you have experienced this unpleasant elevator crush, you will totally relate to the feeling of being caught between friends who are upset with one another. Have you found yourself in the middle of a disagreement between two people you care about?  It is not a fun place to be!  Both of them are sharing information you would rather not know, but somehow you realize God has allowed you to be there.  It is true that you could tell both parties not to share their grievances with you because you don’t like being
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“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” ~ Matthew Henry When the Lord created the heavens and the earth, He spoke everything into existence . . . except for Adam and Eve. Adam He formed from the dust of the ground, and breathed the breathe of life into him. While Eve was fashioned from the rib of Adam, and made to be forever at his side. I have read the story of creation time and time again and yet it wasn’t until this week did I see the significance in how she was formed. She was neither made to be
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The other week, after two days of travel and managing our first Spring Tour event, my daughter and I headed home with our Women of Purpose administrator, Tiffany, to stay with her the week between events. Tiffany’s husband was away for the weekend and Tiffany’s mom had been caring for her girls while we were away. In the short 24 hours before we arrived, two of her girls had cycled through a really nasty virus and her third started feeling sick. Before long, she was vomiting every ten minutes. Already exhausted from the weekend, Tiffany and I stayed up until midnight to assist the sick kiddo until she was able to rest. Tiffany was still “on call” until about 2AM. I was awoken by my own daughter at about 4AM, who was saying random things in her sleep and hallucinating from a really high fever that had spiked overnight. Now
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A cup of dirt became the burial ground for a lima bean seed in my daughter’s first grade science experiment. We followed the written instructions closely, but that was no comfort to my six year old, as she pressed the seed down into the dirt and covered it.  “But Mom, it’s dark in there.  Can it breathe?  I am sure it is frightened!”  No matter what I said to comfort her, the look of concern and doubt as to a happy outcome cloaked her face.  I promised her that it would be alright and that we would soon see this dormant seed come to life in just a few days.  But, secretly I prayed, “Oh Lord, let this be a healthy seed, not a dud, for the sake of my little girl expectantly waiting for a miracle!”  Sure enough, with sunlight and the appropriate amount of water, the seed sprouted
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